Foods of the Américas: Amaranth, the Outlaw Grain (2024)

FAQs

Why did they ban amaranth? ›

A ban on the plant was made on religious grounds. The Catholic Church found the use of small cakes made of amaranth seed and honey (sometimes allegedly mixed with human blood) in pagan rituals, to be eerily similar to using the host during Mass, and declared it blasphemy.

In the 16th century the Spanish conquistadors banned the plant's cultivation, fearing that the spiritual connection with it would stymie the establishment of Catholicism on the continent. But the Incas and Mayans continued to grow amaranth.

Since 1976, amaranth dye has been banned in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a suspected carcinogen.

Amaranthus is a cosmopolitan group of more than 50 species which make up the genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants collectively known as amaranths. Some of the more well known names include "prostrate pigweed" and "love lies bleeding".

For people with intolerance to lysinuric protein, eating amaranth may cause diarrhoea and stomach pain. Moreover, another side effect of lysine increase body's calcium absorption, and bring free, damage-causing amount of calcium in the body. So avoid taking large amounts of calcium and lysine at the same time.

The nutrients in amaranth can offer significant health benefits as a part of a healthy diet. It's a source of vitamin C, which is vital to the body's healing process because it helps process iron, form blood vessels, repair muscle tissue, and maintain collagen.

Amaranth is an ancient whole grain with a high protein and fiber content, especially compared with other grains. It is also high in iron and antioxidants, pointing to potential health and medicinal benefits.

All parts of the amaranth plant are edible. Leaf amaranth is regularly consumed throughout Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Greece. In India, Amaranth is made into a popular dal called thotakura pappu or steamed, mashed and seasoned with salt, chilies and cumin.

The amaranth seed can be used whole or ground into flour. It cooks up like rice with 1 ½ cup of water per ½ cup dry amaranth. It tastes wonderful cooked with in a flavorful liquid like tomato juice. Cooked amaranth can be used in soups, stews, chili or in place of rice in most recipes.

Debunking the Toxicity Myths

Let's set the record straight. Amaranth is not toxic to humans. Instead, it's a nutritious grain that's been a staple in diets for centuries, particularly in Mexico.

Is it safe to Eat Raw amaranth? ›

Raw amaranth grain is inedible to humans and cannot be digested because it blocks the absorption of nutrients. Thus it has to be prepared and cooked like other grains.

Edibility. In spite of some wild rumors, all amaranth can be eaten — even glyphosate-resistant Palmer pigweed — with a couple of caveats. What is this? For one, any plant that has been sprayed or grows in pesticide-sprayed soil will most likely absorb the toxic chemicals, making the plant itself toxic.

Avoid eating too much amaranth from agricultural fields. The leaves (like those of spinach, sorrel and many other greens) also contain oxalic acid, which can be poisonous to livestock or to humans with kidney issues of eaten in large amounts.

Amaranth contains remarkably higher levels of magnesium, calcium, sodium, zinc and iron than quinoa (Krkoskova & Mrazova, 2005).

Amaranth is common in Peru, Bolivia and Mexico, but the largest producer is China, yielding 192 million pounds per year. In the United States, about 6,000 acres have been planted in Great Plains and Midwest states – primarily the cruentus variety, which grows to seven feet.

In the Amaranth crisis, the fund's key risk positions were calendar spreads in the U.S. natural gas derivatives markets; these are not positions that are central to the risk-taking activities of the main international banks. Therefore, the impact of Amaranth's losses was (arguably) largely confined to its investors.

The Greek word for amaranth means "unfading". This describes the bloom's ability to retain its color when dried. This meaning is used symbolically in I Peter 1:4 and 5:4, where the inheritance of the faithful is described as unfading. Thus, the amaranth became a symbol of immortality.

Amaranth dye is possibly carcinogenic, but it is not derived from the amaranth plant. The dye appears to have been given the name “amaranth” because it is a red dye, with “amaranth” being used as a color name. Amaranth grain, interestingly, may have anti cancer properties.