Apparently Woolworths and Coles have experienced a 60% increase in demand for quinoa after recent popularity boosts from Masterchef.
Also reported is that the number of top chefs using quinoa has increased, along with "a flurry of cooking classes, articles and cookbooks dedicated to its wonders."
Entitled "Craze for quinoa outflanks the supermarkets", she reports that Olive Green Organics’ importer Antonio Ramas says his shipment of quinoa has grown in the past five years from 20 tonnes to nearly 400 tonnes.
Growers too are having trouble keeping up with increasing demand coupled with poor growing conditions due to bad weather. New sources of the grain are being established including Tasmania.
Her initial reaction was to get a bit grumpy with me. But as the days have passed and I have been thinking of this…there is a lot of truth in the old saying that ‘You get what you focus on’.
Well, quinoa to me is something fairly new to my consciousness. It has taken me time and new focus to take the steps to find it, buy it, learn how to cook with it, and to find out about its health benefits. That is I have shifted my focus from whatever it used to be on to Quinoa and the Joys Thereof.
It feels good to be adding the quinoa flour in to standard recipes, and quinoa flakes to soups and stews.
I have even substituted quinoa flour in to a chocolate cake recipe and even have the photos to share.
In the photos below we have in descending order
Friends arrived later to help with the testing…
Second helpings were had by all…
This cake did not go stale…
This cake did not last long….
Yesterday as I was preparing a beef casserole for dinner I was happy to use the last of my quinoa flour to seal in the juices as I gave the meat a quick fry in the pan. I am sure the depth of flavour of the whole dish was enhanced by using quinoa flour…it was certainly extra yummy! And it was great to know about the nutritional power pack that it adds to any meal.
The Fairmont Hotels in Vancouver, Whistler, Victoria and Seattle have recently brought their chefs together to showcase their latest creations for Lifestyle Cuisine Plus. At the start of the year, each of the chain’s 64 hotels and resorts wordwide offered new health-conscious creations.
Customer demand for healthier options is the main driver of this change.
These include;
Adding these grains to soups and stews, burgers and meatballs, and a vinaigrette dressing on a high-fibre salad is suggested. A great source of quinoa in its different forms can be found at the Superior Nut Store in New England….buy in bulk and save more!
