Have you ever tried a bread made from quinoa, or any other exotic or unfamiliar grains? The quinoa grain has been harvested by the Andeans in South America since Incan times, where it was referred to as the mother of all grains.
Fascinated by quinoa
and other protein crops, like amaranth and lupine, the PROTEIN2FOOD partners are developing new products to increase the consumption of these forgotten grains.
One of the PROTEIN2FOOD partners, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina (UNALM), is located close to the origin of quinoa, at the foot of the Andeans in Lima, Peru. They produce seeds (e.g. quinoa and kiwicha) as well as legumes (e.g. lupines and lentils) and generate protein-rich prototypes of breads, cookies, pasta, dairy substitutes and other food products. They also develop recipes incorporating these Andean crops into the local cuisine.
UNALM presented their research at the 6th World Congress of Quinoa, in Puno (Peru) March 2017. This city is located at an altitude of 3800 meters above sea level, at the Peruvian “altiplano” or plateau where ancient crops were first grown by antique Andean cultures.