Most people associate this plant with weeds. But meanwhile, this is a wonderful vegetable plant, only for some reason firmly forgotten. And for a long time, quinoa has been used as a medicinal plant, and it is practically harmless, without side effects and an impressive list of contraindications.
Garden quinoa, or vegetable (Atriplexhortensis) Is an annual herb from the Marev family (Chenopodiaceae) with an erect, branched stem, 50-120 cm high. The leaves are alternate, gray-green with a mealy bloom. The shape of the leaf is sometimes compared to the tip of a halberd. The inflorescence is a complex raceme. It differs from many other species in that the female (pistillate) flowers have a small 5-split perianth. The fruit is a nut. Blooms in July-August. The fruits ripen in August-September.
It is assumed that the plant is native to Central Asia, but as an invasive spread in many areas of the European part, in the southern regions of Western Siberia, in Central Asia. It grows near dwellings, in vegetable gardens (weed plant), in saline steppes.
In addition, there are several weedy species that are widely found in our gardens, but they are not used for food.
Whether in the garden, in the garden ...
Like any annual plant, quinoa reproduces only by seeds, which ripen on the plant rather unevenly - the lower ones are already crumbling, and the upper ones are just tied up. Hence, there are two rules for collecting them. Shoots are cut when the seeds are ripe to the middle and laid out on paper. They ripen well and then they are easy to thresh. They retain their germination for a very short time (remember beets) and therefore it is better to renew seed stocks annually. Sowing this crop, given its early maturity, is possible from May to July. The soil should be well fertilized and the area well lit. Otherwise, the leaves will be small and not so "fat".
Seeds are sown in rows at a distance of 40-45 cm to a depth of 1-2 cm. Crops must be watered. Seedlings appear very quickly, after 4-6 days. As the plants grow, they are constantly pinched. This operation is necessary for the plants to branch out and form more leaves. But if you need to get seeds, then, on the contrary, it is better to leave the plants to grow in 1 stem. Then the seeds ripen more harmoniously and are easier to collect.
Care consists in weeding and loosening. With a lack of moisture, the leaves turn out to be tough, so in dry years, do not forget about watering. In addition, in the event of a drought, plants quickly turn to flowering and almost do not form leaves.
Harvested as it grows, like spinach. You can save the leaves frozen or pickled.
Protein and no oxalates
The nutritional value is represented by light green dull (no mealy) leaves of the quinoa. They contain significant amounts of protein, carotene, vitamin C, as well as fats, fiber, and mineral salts. Unlike spinach and sorrel, quinoa contains very little oxalic acid and is not contraindicated for people suffering from cholelithiasis and kidney stones.
As a vegetable, medicinal and ornamental plant, quinoa was known in ancient Greece. For the first time the plant was described by the famous physician and scientist of the ancient world Dioscorides. They baked pancakes from quinoa and cooked porridge. Hippocrates and Galen recommended it for jaundice, frequent constipation. As an external agent, the herb was used as an emollient poultice to relieve gouty pains, pain of hemorrhoidal cones, and other painful tumors. The leaves and flowers of red quinoa were drunk instead of tea for colds - hoarseness, accumulation of phlegm.
In the 11th century medical poem Odo of Mena, this is what he wrote about this plant:
“As they say, quinoa. If eaten, it softensstomach.
If, like a plaster, you apply grass il raw, ilboiled
The plaster applied reduces scabbed nails,
They say that he will be able to heal in the same way, and the "sacred fire" will succeed.
If the herb is rubbed together with vinegar, honey and soda
And to apply, they say, from hot will help gout.
According to Galen, it also destroys jaundice.
Its seed, if often taken together with wine. " In the Middle Ages, quinoa occupied an honorable place in herbalists. In the herbalist of 1632, quinoa is divided into varieties - "green", "red" and "white". It has been cultivated in England since the 16th century, and in America it was a very popular vegetable in the 19th century. However, in the 20th century, it was forgotten for almost a hundred years. In Russian herbalists, quinoa leaves were recommended to be used for jaundice, and seeds - as an emetic and laxative. However, the leaves also have a laxative effect. Seeds (3.7 g per intake) have an emetic effect. With gout and swelling of the joints, you can take a fresh above-ground mass of quinoa, sprinkle it with apple cider vinegar, add a little salt and honey, mix thoroughly until juice appears and use for compresses. It is interesting that in the villages fresh crushed grass was applied to the splinters (sore spots) and after a while the splinters came out on their own. They also dyed wool blue with quinoa seeds. When using grass, wool treated with bismuth azoate is dyed olive. In the years of famine, flour was made from quinoa seeds in Russia, a small amount of rye flour was added to it and bread was baked. Scalded leaves were widely used to make mashed potatoes, and a salad was prepared from raw leaves. In the central black earth regions, it was cultivated to obtain grain, from which porridge and flour were prepared. Now the garden quinoa is willingly grown as a vegetable plant in the private plots of Ukraine. Young juicy shoots and leaves are consumed fresh and pickled. Quinoa is a good vitamin fortifying agent. It is used in the preparation of borscht and cabbage soup as a substitute for spinach. Quinoa leaf salad is recommended for meat and flour dishes. Salads are often used from a mixture of quinoa leaves with cucumbers, tomatoes or paprika. Haute cuisine legislators - the French make soufflés and casseroles from quinoa. We offer a recipe for Quinoa Pies (from a French cookbook). see alsoNote to the gourmet
