Quinoa

Quinoa is a seed from a tall, leafy plant that is related to spinach, beets, and chard. It is technically what is known as a pseudo-cereal, a non-grass that is used in much the same way as cereals. Quinoa is used in an incredibly varied and continuously growing number of ways. It is used as a savory grain side dish, mixed in salads, as breakfast cereal/porridge and in baked goods and snacks. Quinoa flour and flakes are being used as flour substitutes in virtually any application including pastas and savory and sweet baking mixes. Our quinoa is grown in the Bolivian Southern Highlands, a region known as the Altiplano, and specifically in the area surrounding the famous Salar de Uyuni Salt Sea. Quinoa Real, the Spanish name for Royal Quinoa, has official denomination of origin status by the CAN (Comunidad Andina de Naciones) as it only grows in a specific region surrounding the Salar de Uyuni. It has larger grains and is more nutrient dense than other quinoa varieties and is recognized as the highest quality quinoa produced in the entire Andean region with 48 different ecotypes. Most of the quinoa produced in Bolivia is organic and almost all is from smallholder family farms. The Southern Highland region receives between two and ten inches of rainfall annually. Due to these extreme arid conditions, no crops other than quinoa are commercially viable which makes quinoa an incredibly important source of income for many families in this area.