quinoa

/ˈkinwɑ/

Other forms: quinoas

Quinoa is a South American flowering plant and also the name of the starchy, edible grain that's harvested from it.

Quinoa, like rice, oats, and barley, is a grain that's delicious when it's boiled or steamed. The part you eat is the protein-rich seed of the quinoa plant, which is closely related to both amaranth and spinach. Quinoa is an ancient food, native to the Andes Mountains and eaten by humans for about 4,000 years. Its name comes from a Spanish spelling of the Incan kinua.

Definitions of quinoa

1. noun

   starchy seeds of a crop plant, high in protein and considered a valuable food source
2. noun

   a crop plant first grown in South America, now cultivated in different parts of the world