We are going to talk everything, from A to Z, about amaranth, although many believe that it is a cereal, it is not. One of the most important aspects of this small grain is that it is gluten-free. When ground the flour has a pale ivory color, although the “red buds can also be ground for a very healthy, red-dyed fiber.
The word amaranth means “immortal” “that does not wither”, that is why it is known as the flower of immortality.
Although the most widespread use of huauhtli –name given to it by the ancient Mexicans – is as a gently toasted cereal, its leaves are prepared as quintaniles, and its seed in marzipan, flour, pinole, atoles, horchatas, flakes, pancakes and jellies, but the entire plant is also used for ornamental purposes.
The industry obtains food raw materials to enrich flours, concentrates, oils, starches and colorants, and for cosmetology, chemistry and pharmaceuticals, among others.
The Aztecs converted the seed ground and kneaded with maguey honey into tzoalli, and made breads in the shape of Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcóatl, Tláloc, Chalchiuhtlicue, Coatlicue, Xiuhtecuhtli, Chicomecóatl, Matlalcueye, Iztactépetl and Opuchtli, deities who thus personified to sacralize “their carne” and consume it with great reverence in ritual acts.
This practice was abominable for the Spanish colonizers, as were the round tamales of dough and huauhtli leaves that were offered to the dead and the fire element, since they mistakenly thought that they were dyed with the blood of human sacrifices, when this was only food of the gods.
Cultivation and consumption of amaranth was prohibited until it almost disappeared but, preserved in areas far from the Conquest, today it prevails in Puebla, the largest producer, Morelos, Tlaxcala, Mexico City, the State of Mexico and Guanajuato.
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Now let’s talk about its properties.
It is higher in minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus and carotenoids than most vegetables. It has a notable protein content: cup by cup, 28.1 grams of protein compared to 26.3 grams in rice.
Amaranth is a great source of lysine, an amino acid with a protein content comparable to that of milk, easier to digest; That cannot be said for other grains. To support this positive aspect of amaranth, it also contains primary proteins called albumin and globulins, which, compared to the prolamins in wheat, are more soluble and digestible.
One cup of raw amaranth contains 15 milligrams of iron, while white rice only contains 1.5 milligrams. One cup of raw amaranth also contains 18 milligrams of fiber, in comparison, white rice contains 2.4 grams.
En un 105% de la recomendación diaria por ración, el manganeso en el amaranto sobresale, aun así, contiene pocos carbohidratos. El amaranto contiene más de tres veces la cantidad de calcio y también es alto en magnesio, fósforo y potasio. El amaranto contiene de un 6 a 10% de aceite, predominantemente no saturado, o alrededor de 77% de ácidos grasos no saturados, incluyendo al ácido linoleico, requerido para una nutrición óptima. Sin ser lo menos importante en esta lista, el amaranto es el único grano con un contenido documentado de vitamina C.
Datos Nutricionales del Amaranto
Tamaño de la porción: Una (1) taza de amaranto (alrededor de 264 gr)
Cantidad por porción
Calorías …………………………………………………………….. 251
Carbohidratos ………………………………………………………. 46 g
Proteína ……………………………………………………………… 9 g
Fibra ………………………………………………………………… 5 g
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El amaranto contiene más proteínas que el maíz y el arroz, y 80% más que el trigo; las vitaminas A, B, C, B1, B2 y B3; ácido fólico, calcio, hierro y fósforo, y es rica fuente de aminoácidos como la lisina. Es así uno de los alimentos más completos.
Se le inscribe entre los 36 cultivos más prometedores del mundo y como el mejor alimento de origen vegetal para consumo humano. Así que disfrutar de una palanqueta de amaranto no solo es un paliativo para el hambre, sino una alegría para el cuerpo y el alma.
Estudios hechos en el amaranto
Un estudio sobre el amaranto reportó que sus semillas contienen no sólo propiedades nutricionales importantes, sino también compuestos fitoquímicos como rutina, nicotiflorin y péptidos con la habilidad de ayudar a bajar la hipertensión e incidencias del cáncer.
En México los conocemos usualmente por que son el ingrediente principal de las alegrias (dulce tipico Méxicano).
En the Organic Farm, vendemos amaranto, en sus categorías:
semilla- convencional y orgánica.
Amaranto tostado- convencional y orgánico.
Harina de amaranto- convencional y orgánico.
También manufacturamos barritas energéticas de cacao , amaranto y coco entre otros dulces.
Escríbenos y con gusto te compartimos nuestra lista de productos.
-AR
