Does amaranth taste good?

The taste of Amaranth is quite nutty and sweet and delightfully crunchy. The best part about this underdog grain is it is gluten-free. Amaranth also goes by other names such as Chinese Spinach or Pigweed. At present day, the largest producer of Amaranth is China.

Amaranth greens are very similar to spinach in taste, but for the grains you’re better off toasting them before cooking with them (maybe steaming the toasted seeds will be good for adding into a salad perhaps?) They tend to pop like microscopic popcorn kernels.

You could be thinking “Can amaranth be used in beverages?”

We can dig in! we do not mean the cocktail, although, it does sound intriguing, and amaranth can definitely be used in beverages. According to Heart Beet Farms, amaranth is comprised of more than 60 different grain species and has health trend lovers wagging their tongues over its potential benefits.

What is amaranth and how do you eat it?

Amaranth is an ancient grain that is similar to quinoa. The small, light tan colored seed is cooked similarly to rice and oats and eaten as a pilaf or porridge.

Amaranth is considered a ” pseudocereal ” rather than an actual grain since it’s technically a seed. Other examples of pseudocereals are buckwheat and quinoa; both amaranth and quinoa are from the family Amaranthaceae.

Amaranth flour is a common ingredient in gluten-free baking . Since it’s heavy, it should be limited to 1/4 of the total flour in the recipe (by weight), otherwise, the baked goods will be extremely dense. It combines well with almond flour and works nicely as a thickener in soups and sauces.

What is the difference between amaranth and quinoa?

Although amaranth and quinoa are referred to as ancient grains, they are both seeds; the two pseudocereals are also naturally gluten-free. Compared to other grains, amaranth and quinoa have short cooking times, although it does take slightly longer for amaranth to reach the desired doneness.