Amaranth, despite popular belief, is actually a seed, not a grain. It is collectively referred to as Kiwicha seeds in Peruvian and is an ancient psuedo-cereal derived from South America, dating back 8000 years to Aztec times.
We have seen many ancient grains making a comeback lately, and amaranth is just one of those. Being a pseudo-cereal; amaranth is a seed that offers similar nutritional benefits and characteristics to that of common grains such as wheat, quinoa, cous cous and rice. Amaranth is a good source of fibre as well as important vitamins such as vitamin A, folate and thiamin and minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, zinc, manganese and potassium. Amaranth is gluten-free, hence it’s popularity with people who are following this dietary protocol.
Amaranth has been shown to have positive effects on cardiovascular health. The seeds are also very high in protein and contain 10 essential amino acids, making amaranth a valuable inclusion in the diets of vegans and vegetarians.
Amaranth is available as puffs, flakes, seeds and/or flour. In puffed or flaked form it makes a great addition to a homemade cereal, porridge or muesli, whilst in seed form it can be cooked and used as an alternative to any other grain in a meal. Amaranth has somewhat of a nutty flavour and as a flour, can be a healthy alternative to wheat-based flours in baking. Note, it is not a rising flour, rather it produces quite a nutrient dense product, hence if you want a lighter baked good, don’t forget to add a rising agent.
Amaranth is well praised for it’s top nutritional profile, however, some people tend to push it aside as it also has quite a high GI when served on its own. Hence, for those who follow a lower carbohydrate diet it can be vilified, but this is most likely due to its small starch granule size and the fact that it contains only a small proportion of resistant starch.
Overall, amaranth is well worth your time. It is yet another ancient grain that you can use to change things up in your intake. If you do use it, link me into your goods, I would love to see. Happy cooking friends!