Whereas the term "corn" is neither botanist nor scientific but commercial and literary, let's get to know those who are defined as "pseudo cereals", those edible grains which, despite not belonging to the Gramineae family, are still
used in a very similar way to the traditional cereals.
The three plants that we will discover produce valuable beans from a nutritional point of view that are naturally gluten-free, which is why they are rediscovered with pleasure even in recipes for those who follow a gluten-free diet.
AMARANTH is a plant native to Central America, there are about sixty species but those edible are three: Amaranthus caudatus, Amaranthus cruentus and Amaranthus hypochondriacus.
It's assumed that there was a variety already known to the Greeks, so that in the mythological tales it's said that the Greek goddesses used it as ornamental wreaths. Aesop dedicated one of his moral stories, "The rose and
amaranth."
The ancient native peoples of the lands that today correspond to Mexico, even before the Mayans and Aztecs, as well as traditional crops of beans, peppers, chillies, chia seeds, and the well-known corn, cultivated and consumed
plenty of amaranth plant, as confirmed by recent archaeological studies. They ate leaves, similar to spinach, but mainly beans. The Aztecs called it "the grain of the Gods" for the use they made during religious rites: they kneaded it
with cornmeal and then realized celebrating figures before eating them after the rite.
With amaranth was prepared a very nutritious drink sweetened with honey, the Atole. Its use was overlapped and complementary to the corn. It was crucial in the poor diet of those who often lived in arid and mountainous areas. If we
think in terms of value in vegetable proteins, fiber and minerals we understand the importance that this plant had in the daily diet of these populations. But with the arrival of the conquistadores in the early sixteenth century, its
cultivation was stopped by the forced introduction of European cereals.
Its spread in Europe came as an ornamental plant for its flowers of a beautiful bright red; since 1800 it has been cultivated as a vegetable in Africa and in Asia as a cereal, but it have never reached the importance it had in the
countries of origin. The rediscovery of the seed occurred in the mid-seventies, and currently it's cultivated and marketed in Mexico, South America, United States, China, Poland and Austria.
Among its nutritional digestibility is appreciated. It is cooked in water in the ratio 1: 2.5 in 30/40 minutes and it can be used for the preparation of kibble, small pies, fried with vegetables.
QUINOA (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) is an annual herbaceous plant with round seeds, similar to millet, from which you can get flour by grinding. It differs from other cereals for the high protein content and precisely why it constitutes
the "cardinal" food of Andean people. It has been cultivated since 5000 years even at 4000 meters heights.
The Incas worshiped it as a sacred plant, calling it the "mother of all seeds." At the time of the Spanish conquest, as it happened for the amaranth, the conflict with Catholic culture discouraged the cultivation and arrested the use; only in a second time, when it was obvious the best adaptation to the Andean environment of quinoa against the grain, its cultivation resumed.
One of the factors that prevents from growing in areas such as Europe are the climatic conditions: the extreme heat and high humidity don't allow this plant to grow and develop. Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru are currently the largest exporters.
2013 has been dedicated by the FAO as the Year of Quinoa just to encourage the spread of this ancient and important plant outside South America, manage to exploit its features and make it become the food of tomorrow.
The United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture is promoting the cultivation in developing countries, recognizing it as a valuable contribution in the fight against hunger in the world.
Quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids, in addition to a right amount of carbohydrates and proteins, the latter in quantities greater than cereals such as wheat, millet and rice.
Its use in cooking is very versatile, but requires rinsing before use for the removal of a group of substances called "saponins," that would otherwise give a bitter taste. Quinoa can be cooked and seasoned to taste, it's being used for many savory recipes and the preparation of biscuits and sweet creams.
BUCKWHEAT (Fagopyrum esculentum) is a species of herbaceous flowering plants, also called "black wheat". Has very ancient origins, its cultivation began in Siberia in the area of Manchuria and China then continuing in Japan, India and Turkey; thanks to trade through the Black Sea arrives in Italy in the fifteenth century.
Buckwheat is a much underrated food that is mainly used in some countries of northern Europe.
In Italy it's still widely spread in traditional cooking: it's effectively used in many mountain recipes as the "polenta taragna", the "Valtellina pizzocheri" and "sciatt", typical sweets of the Valtellina. It's commonly associated with cereals but its very special characteristics make it even close to legumes: in fact, more than carbohydrates, it presents an interesting protein content and it is a valuable source of fiber that reaches up to 10%. Remarkable its content of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and iron, and the intake of some B vitamins as well as vitamin E.
The essential amino acids that make up its proteins are numerous: arginine, cystine, glycine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, to name a few.
Buckwheat as other cereals can be cooked in water and seasoning as risotto, but it's with the flour that you can give free rein to the imagination: crepes and pastries, bread and breadsticks, until you get to pasta and polenta.
