Kiwicha, a Peruvian superfood

‘Superfood’ is a term used to refer to those foods that offer great nutritional benefits and few calories. They’re full of vitamins and minerals that our body needs.

My favourite Peruvian superfood is kiwicha (also known as ‘amaranto’), wich is an Andean cereal. Its plant is green and tall, of about 2 – 2,5 meters height, with red inflorescences of up to 90 centimeters long.

Almost all the plant is edible, but the most common is to eat its grain (its seed).

It is a great source of amino acids (such as lysine and leucine, essential amino acids) and proteins (it’s made of 13-18% of them). This makes this food specially useful for pregnant women and for the children’s body development.

It also contains calcium, fosforum, iron, zinc, potassium, beta-carotene, vitamin E and vitamin B complex, wich makes the cereal even greater in many aspects: it contributes to the hemoglobin formation, to the bone growth, to the proper functioning of many glands, etc.

It contains dietary fiber, wich is great for digestion, and it’s a great source of energy.

My favourite way to eat it is to toast it a little and mix it with sugar.

Definitively delicious and nutritive, go ahead and try it!