Amaranth

The word amaranth comes from the greek and means «plant that does not wither». The amaranth is one of the oldest crops in Mesoamerica: the Mayans, the Aztecs, the Incas, gatherers and hunters knew it. It is estimated that it was used from 5,000 to 7,000 years ago. Among the Aztecs, both the plant and the seed were known as huatli,. The plant was used as a vegetable and in the preparation of tamales and tortillas. With the grains they prepared a flour that served as food in trips or long rutes, and that mixed with ground corn and maguey hiney, called tzoalli,they elaborated a diverse figures, like small statues of their gods. 

NUTRIENTS

Amaranth, such as quinoa, is considered a pseudocereal, as it has characteristics similar to cereals but with some qualities that stand out such as its protein content, which is more similar to that of legumes.
It has been determined that the grain of amaranth concentrates between 16 and 17% of proteins that possess almost all the essential amino acids for the organism, except leucine, which would be the limiting amino acid in this food.
In addition, it is a source of good fats, of which it concentrates approximately 7% and has a high proportion of fiber, as well as minerals, among which calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, as found in an analysis.
Also, it is a good source of vitamin B complex and phenolic compounds with antioxidant power.

BENEFICTS

Amaranth can be incorporated into the diet to diversify it and add good nutrients, above all, it can be useful for those who have a vegan diet and look for proteins of high quality vegetable origin. 

• Its antioxidants have proven their power to neutralize free radicals of oxygen, so, teh intake of amaranth can reduce oxidative stress and thus help the care of each cell of the body and its health.
• Because of its content in good fats, in fiber and in phytosterols, the consumption of amaranth could help prevent cardiovascular diseases by controlling dyslipidemia and blood pressure values.
• It can be a good resource to increase the satiety of diet, since in replacement of rice or pasta, amaranth can be used as a good source of fiber and proteins that calms hunger and appetite more easily without offering a extra calories, so, it can also be useful when we seek to lose weight.

USES

With amaranth we can achieve variety of preparations that will expand the variety of our diet and add good nutrients and great benefits to it.

• Amaranth can be used as we would use rice, that is, we can boil it to make salads, stews or other preparations, both cold and hot, salty or 

  

  sweet.

• We can use the amaranth directly on the fire in a pan to obtain popcorn amaranth, in replacement of popcorn, thus obtaining a snack with many more proteins and fiber.

• The amaranth seed can be used as such, without cooking, to add crispy texture to a breaded or salad or to make cereal bars with this seed or crunchy cookies if we mix chocolate with amaranth only.

PRODUCTION IN MEXICO

The amaranth in Mexico is cultivated in the states of Guerrero, Mexico, Morelos, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Federal District, Michoacán and Oaxaca. It is used in candies, as a food supplement, in dietetic products and has an important potential in the industry for its types of oils, starches and proteins. It has been conserved and continues to be important in traditional agriculture, however some variants run the risk of disappearing due to its limited cultivation, supported by few farmers and those of advanced age.

RECIPE

TABBOULEH-STYLE AMARANTH SALAD 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 1/2 cup amaranth (uncooked whole-grain, such as Arrowhead Mills)
• 2 cups English cucumber (diced unpeeled)
• 1/2 cup celery (thinly sliced)
• 1/2 cup red onion (finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley (chopped)
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (toasted)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup chickpeas (drained no-salt-added canned, garbanzo beans)
• 1 cup feta cheese (crumbled)
• lemon wedges (optional)

Intructions:

1. Boil 1 ½ cups of cold water and amaranth in a medium skillet; reduce heat, cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes or until the water is almost absorbed (it will have the appearance of white mass).
2. While the amaranth is cooking, combine the cucumber and the next 11 ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Place the amaranth in a sieve and rinse in cold water until it is at room temperature; drains well, pressing with the back of the spoon. Add to the cucumber mixture; Shake to mix. Add cheese; shake gently. Garnish with the lemon pieces if you wish.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Amarantum Asociación Mexicana del Amaranto (—-) Historia del Amaranto. Recovered on January 20, 2019 of http://www.amaranto.com.mx/elamaranto/historia/historia.htm
• Biodiversidad mexicana Conabio (—-) Amaranto. Recovered on January 19, 2019 of https://biodiversidad.gob.mx/usos/alimentacion/amaranto.html
• Gottau, G (2016) Todo sobre el amaranto: propiedades, beneficios y su uso en la cocina. Recovered on January 20, 2019 of https://www.vitonica.com/alimentos/todo-sobre-el-amaranto-propiedades-beneficios-y-su-uso-en-la-cocina
• Yummy (—-) Tabbouleh- Style Amaranth Salad. Recovered on Jnuary 20, 2019 of https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Tabbouleh-Style-Amaranth-Salad-1076738