Amaranth Grain Information
Amaranth has been cultivated as a grain for 8,000 years. [1] The yield of grain amaranth is comparable to rice or maize. It was a staple food of the Aztecs, and was used as an integral part of Aztec religious ceremonies. The cultivation of amaranth was banned by the conquistadores upon their conquest of the Aztec nation. Because the plant has continued to grow as a weed since that time, its genetic base has been largely maintained. Research on grain amaranth began in the US in the 1970s. By the end of the 1970s, a few thousand acres were being cultivated.[2] Much of the grain currently grown is sold in health food shops.
Grain amaranth is also grown as a food crop in limited amounts in Mexico, where it is used to make a candy called alegría (Spanish for happiness) at festival times. Amaranth species that are still used as a grain are: Amaranthus caudatus, Amaranthus cruentus, and Amaranthus hypochondriacus. The grain is popped and mixed with honey. In Maharashtra state of India, it is called “Rajgira” (राजगीरा) in the Marathi language. The popped grain is mixed with melted jaggery in proper proportion to make iron and energy rich “laddus,” a popular food provided at the Mid-day Meal Program in municipal schools.
Amaranth grain can also be used to extract amaranth oil - a particularly valued pressed seed oil with many commercial uses.
Nutritional analysis
As the following table shows, grain amaranth is particularly nutritious.[3][4] Notable nutritional attributes of amaranth grain include:-
- The protein is of an unusually high quality, according to ECHO.[1]
- A ¼ cup of amaranth grain supplies 60% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of iron. [5]
- Amaranth grain is particularly high in lysine, an amino acid that most grains lack.[6]
- Amaranth grain is free of gluten, which is important for people with gluten allergies.
| Synopsis[7] ~ composition: | Amaranth[8] | Wheat[9] | Rice[10] | Sweetcorn[11] | Potato[12] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component (per 100g portion) | Amount | Amount | Amount | Amount | Amount |
| water (g) | 11 | 11 | 12 | 76 | 82 |
| energy (kJ) | 1554 | 1506 | 1527 | 360 | 288 |
| protein (g) | 14 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 1.7 |
| fat (g) | 7 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0.1 |
| carbohydrates (g) | 65 | 52 | 79 | 19 | 16 |
| fiber (g) | 7 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 2.4 |
| sugars (g) | 1.7 | 0.1 | >0.1 | 3 | 1.2 |
| iron (mg) | 7.6 | 6.3 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| manganese (mg) | 3.4 | 13.3 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| calcium (mg) | 159 | 39 | 28 | 2 | 9 |
| magnesium (mg) | 248 | 239 | 25 | 37 | 21 |
| phosphorus (mg) | 557 | 842 | 115 | 89 | 62 |
| potassium (mg) | 508 | 892 | 115 | 270 | 407 |
| zinc (mg) | 2.9 | 12.3 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| pantothenic acid (mg) | 1.5 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| vitB6 (mg) | 0.6 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| folate (µg) | 82 | 281 | 8 | 42 | 18 |
| thiamin (mg) | 0.1 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| riboflavin (mg) | 0.2 | 0.5 | >0.1 | 0.1 | >0.1 |
| niacin (mg) | 0.9 | 6.8 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.1 |
Additional agricultural information
Amaranth from its start as a plant has literally a worldwide population currently where there are varieties for greens, varieties for grain, combinations and even ornamentals. The Great Plains has seen a surge in this crop from Rodale Farms developed varieties.
Amaranthus retroflexus, or pigweed, is a wild amaranth species in the United States. The name derives from the plant's tendency to sprout where hogs are pasture fed. Although both the leaves and seeds are edible, pigweed has not been cultivated as a food crop.
The virtue of amaranth is in light soils, it will produce food under harsh and lackluster nutrient conditions much like grain sorghum. It is a very efficient grain crop.
References
- ^ a b G. Kelly O'Brien and Martin L. Price (1983). "Amaranth: Grain & Vegetable Types" (PDF). ECHO Technical Note. http://echonet.org/repositories/download/9/Amaranth.pdf.
- ^ Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute. "Grain Amaranth: A Lost Crop of the Americas". http://www.jeffersoninstitute.org/pubs/amaranth.shtml. (PDF version also available)
- ^ J.N. Cole (1979). Amaranth: from the Past, for the Future. Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA.
- ^ USDA
- ^ "Certified Organic Amaranth Typical Quality Analysis" (PDF). American Health & Nutrition. http://www.organicharvest.com/pdf/amaranth.pdf.
- ^ Robert L. Myers and Daniel H. Putnam (1988). "Growing Grain Amaranth as a Specialty Crop". Crop Systems. University of Minnesota. FS-03458-GO. http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/DC3458.html.
- ^ USDA
- ^ raw, uncooked
- ^ germ, crude
- ^ white, long-grain,regular, raw, unenriched
- ^ sweet, yellow, raw
- ^ white, flesh and skin, raw
Categories: Grains | Crops originating from the Americas | Crops originating from Mexico
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