Types of Quinoa. Chemical composition and beneficial properties of the plant. How to get rid of quinoa

This showy silvery shrub is often used as a hedge, ideal for maritime climate, perfectly protects from wind and sea spray.

To form a dense hedge from atriplex, you will have to actively work with pruners and hedge trimmers in March - if the plant is not pruned, it easily forms voids at the base and in the center of the bush.

• Height: from 1.5 to 2 m
• Width: 2 to 3 m
• Classification by foliage type: evergreen shrub
• Optimal location: in the sun
• Frost resistance: extremely thermophilic, cannot withstand temperatures below -5°C
• Soil: sandy, dry, neutral reaction
• Growing method: in hedges, in groups, in containers
• Pruning period: spring (March)

Appearance

Quinoa can be an annual herb, shrub, subshrub or perennial herb.

The leaves are arranged alternately and are represented by solid blades. The plant usually has silvery hairs that make it look like it has been dusted with flour.

Quinoa is a monoecious plant, therefore both male (distinguished by the presence of a five-membered perianth) and female (represented in a column with 2 stigmas and 2 fused or free bracts) flowers are located on the same plant.

Botanical characteristics

Spreading quinoa is an annual plant whose height does not exceed one and a half meters. On the ribbed, erect stems of the plant there are leaves whose shape resembles an egg. The leaves at the top of the stem are arranged alternately, and the lower leaves are arranged oppositely. Quinoa blooms from early summer to early autumn. The flowers of the plant are green in color, small in size, collected in inflorescences - panicles. The quinoa fruit is a nut that ripens from late summer to mid-autumn.

Quinoa is found anywhere in Russia. It grows along roads, in gardens, along river banks. She grows like a weed.

Beneficial features

Quinoa contains essential oil, organic acids, carotene, saponins and minerals. Due to the content of such a large amount useful substances the plant has anti-inflammatory, soothing and expectorant properties. Due to the fact that quinoa contains pectin and fiber, this plant is able to cleanse the entire body of toxins. Quinoa has wound-healing properties, so it is used for skin diseases. The plant cleanses the blood and improves the function of the glands.

Applications of quinoa

Quinoa has been used for quite a long time in folk medicine. Poultices and lotions are made from it to heal various wounds, ulcers, and skin diseases. Quinoa helps to improve loose stools, relieve headaches, dry cough, cure jaundice and forget about stomach colic. Quinoa infusion is used for leucorrhoea and poor menstruation.

Fresh quinoa leaves have been used as a rub for sciatica. The plant has a strengthening effect on gout and hemorrhoids. The herb is used for coughs, both dry and chronic, since quinoa has an expectorant property. Quinoa leaves are used for tumors, lung diseases, malignancies and gastritis.

Quinoa juice for worms. To prepare this juice, you need to take young stems with quinoa leaves and pass through a meat grinder. Next, everything needs to be squeezed out. Take the prepared juice 20 minutes before meals, 1 tablespoon 3 times a day. The same juice is very good for cleansing the intestines or using it to remove all unnecessary substances for the body.

Quinoa decoction for gout. The decoction is prepared easily and quickly. To do this, take 2 tablespoons of dry leaves and chop them. Next, they need to be filled with 100 ml of boiling water. Let's put the composition on low fire for a quarter of an hour. After removing from the heat, strain the medicine and bring the resulting amount with boiling water to the original volume. This decoction is taken 3 times a day, 1 tablespoon before meals.

Quinoa decoction for stomatitis. To prepare it, you need to take 3 teaspoons of the herb and grind it to a powder state. Then fill it with 300 ml of boiling water and leave to brew for 1 hour. Afterwards the composition is filtered and the grass is squeezed out. You should rinse your mouth with this decoction a couple of times a day.

Fresh steamed herb used for radiculitis in the form of compresses.

Landing

In autumn or at the very beginning of spring, prepare a planting hole 80 x 80 cm. For a hedge, dig a trench with the same parameters of depth, width and required length. Plant bushes at intervals of 60-80 cm from each other. After planting, water the plants thoroughly.

Trimming

Formative pruning

Hedges need to be trimmed every season, maintaining a constant height. The point of pruning is to ensure that the bushes remain dense and compact, and their “legs” are not exposed. Stimulating pruning allows you to actively grow young shoots, making the hedge thicker.

Reproduction

Propagation by cuttings

The optimal time for propagation by cuttings is April or May. The apical cuttings should be about 10 cm long, remove the lower leaves, keeping the upper ones, and place the cutting in a pot filled with damp sand. The pots must be placed in a greenhouse with a regular temperature of at least 18 ° C and high humidity air. As soon as the cutting takes root, it can be transplanted into the school.

Quinoa - types and places of growth

The genus includes about 100 species scattered throughout the Earth. Economically important species are very rare in the USA and Australia, and the rest are classified as weeds.

People used to say: “Quinoa is a disaster for crops.” And in fact, the nasty weed is an integral companion of fields with planted grain crops, gardens and vegetable gardens, vineyards, wastelands, forests, etc. In other words, quinoa grows wherever one is lazy, sometimes forming impenetrable thickets. It probably does not grow only high in the mountains and at the poles.

There are just over 20 types of quinoa in Russia. The most common are:

- spear-shaped quinoa;
- glossy quinoa;
- spreading quinoa;
— quinoa of different seeds;
- Tatarian quinoa.

Garden quinoa is grown as ornamental plant. The unusual red color of the leaves, in addition to the beautiful spreading panicles of the same color, creates an image of some exoticism in your lawn or living space.

Quinoa - traditional medicine recipes

Infusion to eliminate colic, dry cough, nervous irritability and hysteria: pour the table into a glass of boiling water. spoon of crushed quinoa leaves, leave covered for a couple of hours, then strain and take 2-3 sips 3 r. in a day. To achieve the best effect, add a spoonful of honey. This infusion is also a good medicine for the treatment of chronic bronchitis, jaundice, gout and hemorrhoids. A more concentrated decoction is used to irrigate and gargle the throat and mouth for stomatitis, and also make compresses on affected and itchy areas.

Decoction for douching for thrush: four tablespoons. add spoons of chopped herbs to a glass (200 ml) of boiling water, simmer on a low stove for another 15 minutes, then squeeze out the raw materials, dilute the prepared broth with a liter boiled water and use for douching. It is taken internally to treat gout, half a glass 2-4 times a day until the condition improves.

Steamed quinoa grass is used as compresses to eliminate arthritic pain, and tea from the leaves is drunk as a sedative and muscle relaxant.

Quinoa - contraindications

Since quinoa contains oxalic acid and has a pronounced diuretic effect, its use can provoke an attack of urolithiasis.

Nutritional value and calorie content

The ratio of nutrients is protein 15%, carbohydrates 70%, fat 15%.

100 g of quinoa contains 368 kcal, 14.12 g of protein, 64.16 g of carbohydrates and 6.07 g of fat.

Chemical composition

The green part of the plant contains:

• oxalic acid;
• protein;
• cellulose;
• essential oil;
• macroelements;
• vitamins (PP, E, C, A and others);
• alkaloids;
• microelements;
• saponins.

Quinoa seeds contain a lot of protein, starch, fat and sugar.

Application

In cooking

• • Many types of quinoa are edible and used as a spice, but the main type used by people as food is quinoa.
  • The plant is consumed at a young age - before it blooms.
  • Vegetarians love quinoa cutlets.
  • You can make vegetable puree from scalded leaves.
  • Fresh quinoa is added to salads, botvinya, cold or hot vegetable soup, borscht, and omelet.
  • Quinoa is mixed into flour to make wheat or rye bread more nutritious. In addition, such bread bakes better and does not spoil for a long time.
  • Young leaves of the plant are fermented like cabbage.
  • Quinoa seeds are used in the preparation of various porridges.

There are about 200 species of quinoa, which are common in temperate and subtropical zones. These are herbs, subshrubs and shrubs with alternate leaves, often covered, like the stems, with a powdery coating. Flowers are in glomeruli, forming a spike-shaped or paniculate inflorescence. The most common in Russia quinoa spear-shaped, shiny, spreading, Tatar. All annuals. Row crops and grain crops, orchards, vineyards, and vegetable gardens are being littered everywhere. Sometimes they form entire thickets. Plants from the genus Mari are often called quinoa.

People say, “Quinoa is a disaster for crops,” since this plant is the most common garden weed. There are sayings about this in Dahl's dictionary. For example, this one: “We sowed rye, but we are mowing quinoa.” Indeed, it is rare to find a vegetable garden where among the beds there is not at least one bush of quinoa or its closest relative, mari.

The popular name for quinoa - goose's foot - corresponds to its appearance, since the outline of the leaves really resembles a goose's foot. In past times, quinoa was pressed, dried in rows, then threshed. This is how they stocked up on seeds that are very similar to poppy seeds. The ground meat was steamed, dried, ground and only then added to flour. Although the plant is considered an evil weed, its benefits in the household are considerable. Thus, quinoa is used to feed livestock; its tender spring shoots can be added to salads to enrich them with vitamins. The plant can be classified as a honey plant, since in the summer it helps bees by “feeding” them throughout the period of pollen deficiency (after the spring honey plants fade and before the summer ones bloom).

Quinoa seedlings appear throughout the summer. In the soil, especially in a weedy area, on one square meter There are several thousand seeds, and every second seed turns out to be a quinoa seed.

Quinoa seeds have a fairly long shelf life; they can lie in the ground for 5-6 years without losing their viability. In water, quinoa seeds remain alive for 32 months, as their shell is waterproof. The fertility of quinoa is enormous - up to 100 thousand seeds from one plant.

Quinoa (Atriplex patula L.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers: Flowers are collected in dense spike-shaped inflorescences. The pistillate flowers are enclosed in rhombic or ovate-rhombic bracts, mostly spear-shaped, sharp, usually with few teeth.
Leaves: Leaves are alternate (except for the lowest ones), petiolate, entire or serrated, from unequally rhombic or lance-shaped, hanging down and usually oriented with the edge towards the middle part of the stem, to lanceolate, obliquely directed upward on the branches and top of the plant. All leaves are green, one color on both sides.
Height: up to 90 cm.
Stem: Stem straight, branched.
Blooms from July to September, bears fruit from August.
Lifespan: Annual plant.
Habitat: It grows along roads, wastelands, weed thickets, river banks, like a weed in gardens and fields.
Prevalence: Distributed in Europe, except the Far North, North Africa, in the Caucasus, Asia Minor and Central Asia, North America. In Russia it grows throughout almost the entire territory of the European part, in the North Caucasus and Siberia. IN Central Russia common in all areas.
Addition: Propagated by seeds; one plant can produce up to 6,000 seeds. In crops it occurs in the form of a specialized form with a low stem (no higher than 10 cm) and outstretched branches up to 40 cm long, which are not captured by the machine when mowing.

Coastal quinoa (Atriplex littoralis L.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers: Flowers are collected in intermittent axillary spikes, often forming in turn paniculate inflorescences. The pistillate flowers are enclosed in two free ovate-rhombic, finely toothed or almost entire bracts, 3-6 mm long, blackening almost to the base.
Leaves: Leaves are linear-lanceolate (whole-edged) or lanceolate (sometimes notched-toothed).
Height: up to 75 cm.
Stem: The stem is straight, with regular branches facing upward (except for the lower ones - opposite and ascending), strongly branched from the base.
Flowering and fruiting time:
Lifespan: Annual plant.
Habitat: Coastal quinoa grows on the coasts of water bodies (especially lakes and reservoirs), along river cliffs, on saline soils and damp places.
Prevalence: Distributed in the Black Sea region, Asia Minor and Central Asia, Iran, and northwestern China. In Russia it is found in southern half the European part and in the Ciscaucasia. In Central Russia it grows in the chernozem belt in steppe and semi-desert regions; it is also known to the north as an alien plant.
Addition: In Transcaucasia it forms the basis of food for wintering mallard ducks.

Quinoa (Atriplex oblongifolia Waldst.et Kit.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers: Flowers in spike-shaped inflorescences, collectively forming a pyramidal panicle. Pistillate flowers with ovate or ovate-rhombic entire bracts, free almost to the base.
Leaves: Lower leaves opposite ovoid, b. m. jagged, quickly dying; the upper ones are alternate, narrow, pulled together into a short petiole, pointed, entire or with sparse teeth, with edges narrowly turned back, less often almost sagittal, b.m. silvery from a “mealy” coating.
Height: 15-90(120) cm.
Stem: The stem is simple or branched, with upward directed lateral branches, strong, whitish-powdery at the top.
Flowering and fruiting time: Blooms from July to September, bears fruit from August.
Lifespan: Annual plant.
Habitat: Quinoa oblongifolia grows along river banks, cliffs, slopes, saline steppes, and enters crops.
Prevalence: Distributed in Europe (on the East European Plain - only in the southern half), North Africa, the Caucasus, Western and Central Asia. In Russia it is found in the chernozem regions of the European part and in the Ciscaucasia. In Central Russia it grows mainly in the black earth zone; to the north it is a rare plant.

Quinoa (Atriplex hastata L.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers: Flower glomeruli are collected in a spicate-paniculate inflorescence. The pistillate flowers are enclosed in two free sharp-triangular bracts almost to the base, which (though rarely) have 1-3 small denticles.
Leaves: All leaves or only the lower ones are opposite, from triangular-lanceolate to lanceolate, green, less often silvery, sometimes succulent.
Height: 20-100 cm.
Stem: Stem straight or ascending, with outstretched lower opposite branches.
Flowering and fruiting time: Blooms from July to September, bears fruit from August.
Lifespan: Annual plant.
Habitat: Quinoa spearifolia grows on cliffs, slopes, along the banks of reservoirs, on roadsides and weedy (especially in cities) places, preferring slightly saline soils.
Prevalence: Distributed in Europe, North Africa, the Caucasus, Asia Minor and Central Asia, Iran, northwestern China, and Mongolia. In Russia it grows throughout the European part (except for the far north), in the North Caucasus and Siberia. In Central Russia it is found in all regions, but most often in the southern half.

Arrowhead or glossy quinoa (Atriplex sagittata Borkh.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers: The flowers are collected in spike-shaped inflorescences, which together form a pyramidal panicle. There are two types of pistillate flowers: with a five-membered (or three-membered) perianth without bracts (there are fewer such flowers) and without a perianth, enclosed in two round-oval, entire naked bracts.
Leaves: The lower leaves are opposite, the upper ones are alternate, all petiolate, from triangular-ovate to lanceolate, coarsely notched-toothed, less often entire, green above, with a whitish powdery coating below.
Height: 60-150 cm.
Stem: With a simple or branched stem.
Seeds: Seeds different forms the flowers are different: the first ones are horizontal, 1-1.5 mm in diameter, convex, black, shiny, with a pericarp densely covered with short papillae; in the second - vertical, flat, matte, olive-brown, 3-4 mm in diameter.
Flowering and fruiting time: Blooms in July-September, bears fruit in August.
Lifespan: Annual plant.
Habitat: Arrow-leaved quinoa grows along the banks of reservoirs, clay slopes, in weed thickets, in vegetable gardens, and enters crops.
Prevalence: Distributed in Europe, except in extreme northern regions, in the Caucasus, Asia Minor and Central Asia, Iran, and northwest China. In Russia, it is found in the European part (the northern border of distribution runs approximately along the southern border of the taiga), in the Ciscaucasia and in the south of Western Siberia. In Central Russia it is known in all regions, but is more common in the black earth zone.
Addition: It is spread by seeds, which are carried by the wind along with the bracts. Mostly in the non-chernozem zone, similar European look - Quinoa (Atriplex hortensis L.), differing from quinoa with glossy green leaves on both sides without a powdery coating, usually growing in vegetable gardens, orchards, in weedy places and extending into salt marshes.

Tatarian quinoa (Atriplex tatarica L.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers: Flowers in leafless terminal spike-shaped inflorescences. The pistillate flowers are enclosed in rhombic-arrow-shaped or three-lobed bracts fused to half, the upper teeth of which are sometimes almost three times longer than the lateral ones.
Leaves: Leaves are petiolate, silvery-mealy, triangular-ovate or oblong-ovate, notched-toothed or lobed, the upper ones are often lanceolate.
Height: up to 100 cm.
Stem: With a straight or ascending branched stem.
Flowering and fruiting time: Blooms from July to October, bears fruit from August.
Lifespan: Annual plant.
Habitat: Tatarian quinoa is a common southern ruderal plant, found along roads, near housing, on pastures, and also on salt marshes.
Prevalence: Distributed in the southern half of Western and Central Europe, in Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Mongolia, India. In Russia it grows in the European part, mainly in the chernozem regions, in the Ciscaucasia and in the south of Western Siberia. In Central Russia it is not uncommon in the south; in the non-chernozem zone it is known only as an alien plant.
Addition: In the chernozem regions of the European part, and as an alien species occasionally in the non-chernozem zone, the European Pink quinoa (Atriplex rosea L.) - annual plant up to 90 cm high, with a whitish-powdery coating. The leaves are ovate or rhombic, notched-coarsely toothed.

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Quinoa is a genus of plants known by a common name and numbering 250-300 species. It belongs to the goosefoot family - a subfamily of dicotyledonous plants. The genus is quite variable and widespread. Includes many desert and coastal plants, as well as plants common in humid environments.

The generic name originated in Latin and was applied by the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder to edible plant species.

Quinoa grass - sometimes annual and sometimes perennial. Plants are often covered with bladder-like hairs, which subsequently break down and produce a silvery, sticky or powdery surface, rarely with elongated trichomes. Leaves petiolate or sessile. The flat or slightly fleshy leaf blades are either entire, serrated, or even lobed and highly variable in shape.

The inflorescences consist of axillary or terminal spines or a spike-shaped panicle. The flowers are unisexual, some varieties are monoecious, others are dioecious. Male flowers consist of 3-5 perianth lobes and 3-5 stamens. Female flowers usually lacking a perianth, but they are surrounded by two leafy bracts and contain an ovary with a short style and 2-stigma.

A common weed can be found in places with sufficient humidity, for example, near a pond or in a ravine, and often grows in wastelands and forest edges.

Different types of quinoa can be found in almost all corners of the planet. There are cultivated species and even specially bred varieties, but most representatives are wild. Edible quinoa is most common in North America. There are many such species in Australia, and their contraindications are well known.

Characteristics of Quinoa

The erect stem bears entire blade-like leaves. To the touch, it seems that their surface is powdered with talcum powder or flour. This effect is felt due to the finest hairs covering the entire surface of the leaf plate. This plant is monoecious, with both male and female flowers on the same stem.

Quinoa is a fairly common plant. There are both annual and perennial species. The vegetation is generally herbaceous, although there are garden shrub and semi-shrub plantings.

The nutritional value per 100 grams of greens is 370 Kcal

• Protein 14 grams.
• Fat 6 grams.
• Carbohydrates 64 grams.

A detailed study of the structure of green pulp reveals 17 types of amino acids in it, and 10 of them are so unique that a person is not able to produce analogues on his own. The quinoa does not end there, and is also defined by its rich content of fiber and essential oils.

An incredible amount of vitamins A, B, C, E, PP make quinoa useful during spring vitamin deficiency. A dose of vitamins and microelements - potassium, iron and accompanying alkaloids with oxalic acid, supplied to us with food, has a positive effect on our general condition.

Quinoa photo and description of the plant, beneficial properties of the species

The current state of flora studies regulates over 250 species of quinoa. The most common representatives of the genus:

Garden quinoa

The stems of this quinoa grow up to 60-150 cm. The stem of the plant is erect, branched, the leaf blades are matte, dark red or green, pointed. The edge of the plate can be either smooth or have a jagged structure.

The flowering period extends throughout almost the entire summer season. At this time, inflorescences in the form of panicles or spikelets are formed on the garden swan.

Because the aboveground part of the plant is edible, garden quinoa can be grown for agricultural purposes. It can be used in preparing all kinds of dishes. In addition, the beautiful and unusual dark red color of the foliage allows it to be used as an ornamental crop.

Quinoa Spreading

The stem of spreading quinoa is erect, branched, grows up to 30-100 cm. The leaf blade is green, with a smooth edge. Foliage located in the lower part of the plant may have noticeable differences in both shape and edge structure. Flowering - the second part of summer, inflorescences in the form of spikelets.

Spreading quinoa close-up photo

It is used as pet food, and it can also be used. Spreading quinoa is also good in fresh, and in soups. If desired, quinoa can be prepared for the winter by fermentation.

Small-flowered quinoa

The stem of the plant is branched, striped, grows up to 100 cm. The leaf blade may be covered with hairs. Flowering in the second half of summer. It is edible, therefore used as food, suitable for use as livestock feed.

quinoa is edible

Quinoa

The stem is erect, the leaf plate is thin, the inflorescences are in the form of panicles. Blooms from the middle summer season. The plant is edible and is also used as livestock feed.

Beautifully fruited quinoa grows up to 35 cm in height and is characterized by a twisted or bent stem. The inflorescences resemble spikelets, the leaves are oblong with smooth, not jagged edges. Mainly used for household purposes.

Coastal

Low erect stem from 20 to 70 cm. Leaf blade lanceolate. Flowering period July and August, inflorescences in the form of spikelets. It is an alternative to spinach in the diet.

Tatar quinoa

The stem grows up to 10-100 cm. The leaf blade of Tatarian quinoa is ovoid in shape, equipped with a serrated edge. Early period flowering begins in June. The plant is edible and can also be used as green food for pets.

Quinoa food use

Considering beneficial features, quinoa can be consumed fresh. In addition, you can store it for the winter. Used for workpieces various ways: collected greens can be dried, frozen, pickled, pickled or pickled.

Quinoa use in cooking

Quite a few species of this plant have nutritional value. However, the most common, and therefore used in cooking, is garden quinoa. For preparation, it is best to select shoots and leaves before the plant blooms. They are softer and juicier.

The range of uses of quinoa in cooking is quite wide. Despite the fact that the plant does not have a pronounced taste, it contains quite a lot of nutrients, so it can be used as a substitute for spinach. In addition, as a green mass, it goes into any vegetable soups and salads.

Dried and powdered quinoa can be added to bread. Thanks to this, its shelf life will significantly increase and the likelihood that the loaf will remain raw inside during baking will be reduced. The seeds are mixed with cereals when preparing porridge, and the young leaves, mixed with boiled eggs, are used as a filling for pies.

Green Summer Quinoa Soup

For it, the leaves of quinoa and sorrel are taken in a ratio of 4 to 1. The greens, sorted and washed, are cut and boiled in boiling water. The soup is served with sour cream. As an additive, you can use dill and onions, as well as cucumbers.

Vegetarian cutlets

Young quinoa foliage is finely chopped along with onions. Oatmeal is added to the mixture, a raw egg. You can add salt and pepper if desired. Cutlets are made from this mass, breaded in breadcrumbs and fried until cooked.

Salad

The sorted and washed quinoa greens need to be chopped and mixed with grated boiled beets and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Mayonnaise-mustard sauce is used as a dressing.

Before preparing them, the quinoa needs to be boiled. In order to get rid of excess liquid in the resulting mass, place it in a frying pan and simmer over low heat with the addition of oil.

While it is stewing, mix a glass of flour with a half glass of milk at room temperature, add vegetable oil and about 50 g of grated hard cheese.

From the resulting mixture, prepare a not too stiff dough and let it brew for an hour. Add the stew mixture to the dough and mix well. Form the pancakes with a spoon and fry until done.

Meatballs

It couldn’t be simpler, throw the quinoa, garlic cloves and cilantro into a blender, chop and squeeze half a lemon or lime into the mixture. Sprinkle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste, you can enhance it with coriander, and season with your favorite dried herbs. We make meatballs from the resulting vitamin paste and cool in the refrigerator.

Quinoa medicinal properties

The proverb says: quinoa, also known as pigweed, saved 100 ailments in the old days. Quinoa is very rich nutrients with excellent medicinal properties. It contains oxalic acid, micro and macroelements, vitamins, fiber and essential oils. Alkaloids are also present in small quantities. But quinoa has not only beneficial properties, but also contraindications.

Quinoa can be used in the treatment of liver, kidney and lung diseases. It normalizes the functioning of the cardiovascular, excretory and digestive systems.

Due to its mild analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect, it can be used for bruises and inflammatory diseases of the joints. Quinoa juice, using its beneficial properties, is used as a mild laxative.

Quinoa - beneficial properties and indications

• Regular use helps strengthen the immune system.
• Natural calming. It puts the nervous system in order.
• Excess potassium is an inexhaustible source of preventing heart attacks and helping the cardiovascular system.
• Rutin was found in quinoa - it maintains the walls of blood vessels in an elastic state.
• Like newfangled food additives, it speeds up digestion processes.
• Girls who are constantly on a diet, good news for you - quinoa will replenish your diet with essential microelements and vitamins without adding calories.
• Constipation sufferers should pay attention to the beneficial laxative properties of quinoa. Quinoa will help cleanse your body of toxins.
• Helps in the recovery of patients suffering from painful sensations in the respiratory tract (facilitates the course of bronchitis, runny nose, sore throat, respiratory diseases).
• Eases headaches, relieves pain during menstruation.
• Promotes rapid blood clotting in wounds and acts as an antiseptic.

Quinoa contraindications

It is not advisable to take it for those who suffer from urolithiasis and cholelithiasis. In addition, its use should be limited to those who suffer from chronic diseases associated with the nervous and digestive systems. If taken for too long, quinoa can cause their aggravation. General cases of contraindications:

• Quinoa is contraindicated for patients suffering from urolithiasis.
• Incoagulability of blood - hemophilia, intense bleeding - indicate that it is necessary to refrain from eating a valuable product.
• The composition of quinoa includes not fully studied chemical elements, leading to intoxication due to excessive consumption of the plant. Increased concentrations of this toxin can lead to digestive disorders.
• Allergy scourge modern society. The failure of the immune system takes both adults and children by surprise. Quinoa is contraindicated for those suffering from this scourge. Before consuming quinoa, it is better to check with a doctor for a reaction. And of course, the first time you take the product, take it in small quantities.

Use as a medicine

For use in the treatment of various diseases, dry raw materials are usually used. For ease of storage, it is ground to a powder state.

Inflammatory processes in the mouth. A spoonful of raw materials is poured into a glass of water and infused for about an hour. Use the strained liquid to rinse your mouth. The product effectively fights inflammation and eliminates unpleasant odors.

Treatment of cough with quinoa. If you have difficulty separating sputum, you can make an infusion by pouring a glass of boiling water over a spoonful of dry raw materials. When the infusion has cooled a little, you need to strain it and drink it with honey. To get good results, use it three times a day.

Treatment of radiculitis. Warm, steamed quinoa leaves applied to a sore joint will help relieve the pain that occurs in it. Cover this compress with something warm on top and leave it overnight.

Treatment of the cardiovascular system. The potassium in quinoa allows it to be taken in case of cardiac diseases. You can either include fresh quinoa in the menu, or drink infusions from dry raw materials three times a day for two weeks.

Decorative quinoa

One of the most common garden varieties used for aesthetic purposes is Atriplex nitens. This is enough high grade, it rises up to two meters. The ground part of the plant is most often a rich burgundy color, for which gardeners value it. The crop is grown for decorative purposes and is not used for food.

Second representative decorative varieties quinoa is Crimson Plume. Its foliage is red and its inflorescences are purple. The subspecies Gold Plume differs from it by its beautiful yellow inflorescences. The plant is very rare, middle lane of our fatherland in wildlife it is impossible to meet him. Cultivated exclusively by enthusiasts and supporters of the development of new plant species in their area.

Planting and care

Quinoa tolerates cold very well, is undemanding to soil composition and can grow in shaded areas. This plant only reacts poorly to a lack of moisture, so it needs to be watered, especially during prolonged drought. Lack of water primarily affects the foliage of the plant, which becomes smaller and becomes very hard.

If you plan to get young quinoa greens to the table in the spring, plant the seeds in the winter. Best time for such a planting this is the second half of October.

Spring and summer sowing can also be used. In this case, the first planting is done immediately after the snow cover melts, the sequence between sowings is about two weeks. An exception should be made only for a particularly hot period: at this time problems with germination may arise. This growing scheme will provide you with young greens throughout the summer.

In addition to regular watering, quinoa also needs thinning and loosening.

Quinoa is a familiar weed to everyone. But not everyone knows that this plant is also the most useful product, has long been used as food. In a number of countries it is still grown as a leaf vegetable.

History and geography of the product

For several centuries, quinoa, unpretentious and resistant to droughts, served as a salvation from hunger in lean years for many European peoples. This variable plant easily adapts to almost any climatic conditions. It can grow in both the harsh arctic cold and the arid desert.

Until the 19th century, quinoa was firmly included in the diet of our ancestors. It was collected or bred specially, sown along with cereals in large areas. Garden quinoa was known to the ancient Romans and Greeks. In southern European countries, for example, in France, gardeners even engaged in plant selection as grain crops, breeding elite varieties.

In Russia, growing quinoa was also popular. Its leaves and young shoots were eaten fresh or boiled, and porridge was prepared from the seeds. The main way to use this plant was to add it to formulations of rye and wheat flour, which reduced its consumption and increased nutritional value. finished products. Pancakes and cheap bread were baked from such mixtures. Unfortunately, in recent centuries this part of the national structure has been almost completely lost.

Quinoa as a plant is widespread in many countries different continents. Most of its varieties suitable for food grow in Australia and North America. Also a lot of it wild species can be found in Western Europe and the Caucasus regions. In Russia, quinoa grows everywhere, from the European part of the country to Far East, in gardens, vegetable gardens, fields, floodplains, on the slopes of ravines, sand and even pebbles.

Types and varieties

Quinoa is an annual plant of the goosefoot family. There are hundreds of its species found in nature, most of which are considered weeds. Externally, quinoa is a branched pyramidal plant with an erect stem slightly tall more than a meter. The leaves of all varieties are oval in shape, pointed towards the apex, with a solid or slightly jagged edge. Depending on the variety, they can vary greatly in color in green, yellow or red.

The plant is suitable for human consumption in two forms:
1) wild quinoa, freely growing in nature;
2) garden quinoa (or vegetable), which is cultivated specifically for planting in the garden.

It is recommended to collect the wild species in spring or early summer before the plant blooms. Young shoots and leaves that have white on the reverse side are nutritious. powdery plaque. Collecting wild quinoa for adding to food or treatment should only be done in ecologically clean areas.

How vegetable crop Quinoa is related to spinach plants, but unlike most of them it has better yields and is drought tolerant. Despite this, the plant requires regular watering to prevent the leaves from becoming fibrous. They are collected as they grow, while the quinoa is still young.

Garden quinoa varieties are divided into two groups:
1) salad having more succulent leaves of green or yellow color;
2) decorative, mostly red-leaved, they are also suitable for food and at the same time very beautiful.

Beneficial features

Quinoa - very useful plant. It is a source of fiber, proteins, mineral salts, vitamins B and C, flavonoids, saponins, carotene, betacyanin, rutin, betonin and 17 amino acids. Moreover, some of these substances necessary for humans are not produced by the body itself; they can only be obtained from food.

Even in ancient times, quinoa’s ability to nourish and saturate was noted. This valuable property is explained by the high protein content in the plant. Together with vitamins and minerals, they help to significantly increase the nutritional value of any dish to which quinoa is added. In a number of nutritional value indicators, this plant surpasses even animal products.

Actively participating in metabolic processes, quinoa has a beneficial effect on many body systems. Its content of iron, potassium, rutin and ascorbic acid helps to improve the health of the heart and blood vessels. Vitamins and amino acids have a general strengthening effect on the immune system. The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect of the plant helps with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and oral cavity.

Taste qualities

Porridge made from quinoa seeds tastes similar to buckwheat. The shoots and leaves of the plant are characterized by the absence of a pronounced taste and smell. This is according to by and large, and there is the main taste quality of quinoa. Added to various dishes, it can significantly increase their nutritional value due to a rich set of nutrients. At the same time, the taste of the enriched salad, soup or baked goods will not change in any way. It is impossible to spoil any of the dishes with quinoa.

In terms of taste, it is comparable to some types of mushrooms, which are not endowed with their own distinct taste, but absorb others well. Like them, quinoa is used in cooking with big amount herbs and spices. Adding onions, garlic, bay leaf, pepper and parsley.

Use in cooking

Both leaves and stems and seeds of quinoa are used for culinary purposes. The green part of the plant is used in the same way as any spinach vegetable. It can be:
add fresh to salads;
cook in soups and stew for garnish, like cabbage;
fry in vegetable oil;
used to decorate dishes, using rich color scheme plants;
ferment together with cabbage or salt for future use.
Quinoa seeds are used as a cereal to prepare porridge, and heat-treated and ground are added to flour for baking bread and pancakes.

Quinoa goes well with almost all foods. It is combined in salads and soups with other vegetables, placed on meat and fish sandwiches as a herb, and mixed with eggs in omelettes. Added to flour, quinoa allows bread made with it to bake better and last longer.

From large assortment Unfortunately, few dishes prepared by our ancestors have survived to this day. But cabbage soup and okroshka with quinoa, vitamin-rich vegetable salads, mashed potatoes, vegetarian cutlets and delicious pancakes are still popular. A "Lebedyan"– porridge made from the seeds of the plant, served with milk and eggs, is the pearl of Russian cuisine.

Many of us have heard the name of the herbquinoa, but not everyone knows what kind of plant this is. Quinoa can be one or perennial shrub, subshrub or grass. The number of quinoa species is more than 100. The height of the plant varies from 20 cm to 1.8 m, the shoots are thick or thin depending on the species. The leaf blades are solid, elongated, arranged alternately. Grass can be red, yellow, or green. The trunk and leaves are covered with silver-colored fibers. Quinoa is a monoecious plant, i.e. male and female flowers are located on the same plant. The black seeds are located in bracts.

Did you know? Quinoa has edible species. The most popular type of garden quinoa in cooking.

In most cases, quinoa is a weed. Habitat: wastelands, ravines, fields, vegetable gardens, coastlines. The grass not only grows wild, but is also cultivated as cultivated plant. Quinoa is distributed throughout to the globe. Australia and the USA have the largest number of plant species suitable for use in gastronomy. Dry quinoa grass is used in cooking as a seasoning or in gardening as a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Green leaves are used to make cutlets, soups, salads, and pancakes.

Important! Young shoots and leaves contain protein, rutin, vitamins C and PP, and minerals.

Thanks to its saturation with beneficial substances, quinoa has gained wide application in folk healing.

Garden quinoa is an annual herb with an erect, faceted, branched trunk ranging from 60 to 180 cm in height. The leaves are different in shape, elongated, with whole or jagged edges, thin, with a sour taste. The color of the leaves can be emerald or red-burgundy. The lower part of the leaf blade has a milky tint. Small green or red flowers form paniculate or spikelet inflorescences. The seeds are black or brown-olive in color. Flowering occurs in June – August. Garden quinoa is native to Central Europe. Garden quinoa grown as a vegetable or ornamental plant. As a weed, it is distributed everywhere. The leaves and stems of grass that have not yet bloomed contain many useful nutrients.

Wild quinoa is an annual plant, with a height of 3 to 70 centimeters. The quinoa trunk can be either erect or creeping, branched from the base. The shoots are horizontal or directed upward. Long branches are covered with a filmy coating. The leaves are elongated or triangular, ovoid, with jagged edges, covered with a ragged peeling film. The color of the leaves is gray-green, sometimes changing to red. The flowers form few-flowered balls, which are located in the leaf axils. Few-flowered balls form spicate-paniculate inflorescences.

Did you know? You can see what wild quinoa looks like in the photo below.

The salt absorbed by the plant from the soil accumulates in the leaf blades, so the grass can be used to cleanse the soil of excess salts. Tatarian quinoa is an annual plant that grows from 10 cm to one meter. The grass trunk can be either erect or recumbent. The leaves are elongated, oval, narrow, with jagged edges. The tips of the leaves are sharp, the leaf blade is covered with villi. You can see what Tatar quinoa looks like in the photo below. Flowering – June – October. Flowers form spikelet inflorescences, Bottom part which are bordered by foliage. Seeds round shape

, brown color, shiny. The plant is a weed, but it is used as food and feed. Natural habitat - steppe, vineyards, vegetable gardens. The stem of the plant is creeping and by the end of summer changes its color from green to red. The leaves are triangular or oval, with or without jagged edges. Flowering period – July – August. Small green flowers form small-flowered balls. Female flowers have no perianth.

Spear-shaped quinoa is an annual plant. The grass reaches a height of 20-100 cm. The trunk is bare and branched. The leaves are horizontally spaced, uniform below and above, green or silvery-mealy in color. The leaves are attached to the stem opposite to each other. The shape of the leaf can be triangular-spear-shaped, lanceolate with serrations or lobes directed upward. The flowers are collected in small balls, which, in turn, form intermittent spicate-paniculate inflorescences.

Important! The seeds are vertical and ripen in September. Flowering period – June – August. Spear-shaped quinoa is used in cooking, fresh, boiled, pickled, or pickled.

The seeds of some types of quinoa, when eaten, can cause hallucinations. Quinoa elongata is a plant that reaches a height of 20-110 cm.

The leaves of the plant are green, narrow, triangular-oblong, elliptical or oval in shape. Green flowers form small clusters of inflorescences. Flowering period – June – July. Coastal quinoa grows up to 70 cm. The trunk is bare, erect, branched with shoots directed upward. The leaves are green, oval or linear-oval, narrowed towards the base. The tips of the leaves are sharp, the edges are smooth, rarely jagged. The flowers form elongated spikelet inflorescences, which in turn form paniculate inflorescences. Flowering period – July – August. The seeds are brown, bare, flattened. Coastal quinoa is eaten as a substitute for spinach.

It’s easy to guess from the name where coastal quinoa grows. Habitat: sea sandy shores. Spreading quinoa has the following description. The height of the grass is 30-150 cm. The trunk is erect, faceted, branched. Quinoa is an annual plant. The root system is taproot. The lower row of leaves is unevenly rhombic or spear-shaped. The leaves, located alternately on the stems, are attached with the help of petioles, with smooth or jagged sides, elongated, green in color. The leaves of the branches are oval, narrowed, looking upward. Flowering period – June – July. The seeds are small, flattened, black in color. Spreading quinoa is not only a forage plant, but also a food plant.