Ancient Harvest's Inca Red Quinoa

Brand: Ancient Harvest Quinoa Corporation
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Product Name: Inca Red Quinoa

Location Purchased: King Soopers

Cost: $6.29 for 12 oz box

Total From A to Z: 4 Stars

A's Review: * * * *
For many people, I would guess quinoa is something new. It is most like cous cous, but contains no wheat. It also lacks the heaviness of risotto, which is definitely a good thing in this case. For starters, it is really easy to prepare. 1 part quinoa, 2 parts water, but vegetable or chicken broth can be substituted. I used 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of chicken broth, because I like the flavor that it adds and I was hedging my bets in case the quinoa itself was bland. Bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. I loved that it did not need babysitting. It can also be made in a rice cooker, which I guess would make it even less labor intensive. All of this yielded 4-5 good sized servings of slightly crunchy, nutty, goodness. The look of it is exotic enough to give it built-in presentation value, which is a nice bonus. I would gladly make and eat this again, for myself or company.

Z's Review: * * * *
This was the first time I've ever eaten quinoa, so I can't really judge the merits of this particular type of quinoa. (Perhaps we'll try more quinoa in the future and we'll be able to update this post!) I found that this quinoa made a really nice side dish - we had it with baked salmon and asparagus. As compared to similar side dishes, like couscous or risotto, quinoa was a lot more flavorful on its own. It sort of had a nutty, grainy flavor, but at the same time reminded me a little bit of sprouts. While it was filling, there was also something very light and fresh and healthy-tasting about it, which I really enjoyed. The texture was also pleasing. It has a little bit of a crunch, meaning you actually had to chew it. Couscous and risotto are almost mushy in comparison. All in all I really enjoyed this quinoa and I would certainly use it as a side dish again in the future. (But beware! Quinoa doesn't stick together like risotto and those pieces are little! If you knock that bowl over you'll have little bits everywhere!)