quinoa

Definition

A goosefoot (Chenopodium quinoa) native to the Andes and cultivated for its edible seeds.

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish quinua, from Quechua kinwa.

Example Sentences

• "Chenopodium quinoa Will, (quinoa) is native to the Andes, and the seeds are a staple grain in parts of South America. The newly formed Canadian Quinoa Association anticipated growing about 400 ha of quinoa annually (Anonymous 1992e)."
• "Quinoa was cultivated about 3,000 years ago in the Andes mountain region, and was the favored crop of the Incas, who used it as a sacred plant in rituals."
• "The oldest archeological remains of domesticated quinoa date to 5000 BC (Tapia 1979)."