The genus is native to Mexico and Central America. In pre-Hispanic times, amaranth was cultivated by the Aztec and their tributary communities in a quantity very similar to maize. Known to the Aztecs as huāuhtli, amaranth is thought to have represented up to 80% of their energy consumption before the Spanish conquest.
Amaranthus retroflexus, “pig weed,” is a wild amaranth species native to the United States and is considered a weed in the Northeast, Nebraska and Great Plains, South, and West. The name derives from the plant’s tendency to sprout where hogs are pasture-fed.
You see, archeological evidence of seeds from A. Hypochondriacus and A. Crutenus found in a cave in Tehuacán, Mexico, suggests amaranth was part of Aztec civilization in the 1400s. Ancient amaranth grains still used include the three species, Amaranthus caudatus, Amaranthus cruentus, and Amaranthus hypochondriacus.
Where do amaranths grow?
Amaranth is a plant of the family of Amaranthaceae. About 60 species are native to the Americas, whereas less numerous are the species originally from Europe, Africa, and Asia. The most widespread species are native to North, Central and South America, and these are A. Caudatus, and A., and hypochondriacus.
Another popular inquiry is “How tall do Amaranth plants grow?”.
Amaranth varies in flower, leaf, and stem color with a range of striking pigments from the spectrum of maroon to crimson and can grow longitudinally from 1 to 2.5 metres (3 to 8 feet) tall with a cylindrical, succulent, fibrous stem that is hollow with grooves and bracteoles when mature.
What is amaranth and how is it used?
Grain amaranth is also grown as a food crop in limited areas of Mexico, where it is used to make a candy called alegría ( Spanish for joy) at festival times. In other preparations, the grain can be popped like popcorn and then either mixed with honey, or served with milk, dried fruit and nuts like a cold breakfast cereal.
What is amaranth used for in Mexico?
Amaranthus cruentus, and A. Hypochondriacus are native of Mexico and Guatemala. Cruentus is used in Mexico to produce typical sweets called alegría, in which the amaranth grains are toasted and mixed with honey or chocolate. Amaranthus caudatus is a widely distributed staple food both in South America and in India.
What is amaranth and what does it taste like?
Because of the high proteins, minerals and vitamins present in amaranth seeds, these ancient cultures depended on the grain as a major staple in their diets. Amaranth is still the native crop in Peru, and it’s grown in Africa, India, China, Russia, South America and North America.
What are the different types of amaranth grains?
Ancient amaranth grains still used include the three species, Amaranthus caudatus, Amaranthus cruentus, and Amaranthus hypochondriacus. Although amaranth was cultivated on a large scale in ancient Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru, nowadays it is only cultivated on a small scale there, along with India, China, Nepal,.
How many species of Amaranthus are native to the Americas?
About 60 species are native to the Americas, and only 15 are the species originally from Europe, Africa, and Asia. The most widespread species are A. Cruentus and A. Hypochondriacus native to North and Central America, and A. Caudatus, from South America. Amaranthus cruentus, and A. Hypochondriacus are native of Mexico and Guatemala.