I LOVE Quinoa. It is so versatile and healthy and pretty easy to cook with, BUT, the one question that I have asked my self over and over again is in regards to rinsing it!!! “Do I really have to do that?” Turns out you do!!! This is not the step to skip when looking for mom corners to cut.
The part of Quinoa that we eat is actually a seed! This seed has been a high-protein mainstay in South America since long before Machu Picchu. Ok, so now you know it’s a seed but do you know why we’re supposed to rinse it and, more importantly, if we really have to?
Quinoa has a natural bitter coating of saponins (which has a soapy taste to it!). Saponins are a class of chemical compounds found in particular abundance in various plant species. Its natures way of preventing the birds from eating the seeds and can be mildly toxic to some people. The saponins dissolve when quinoa is rinsed.
“Unless the box specifically says that it’s been pre-rinsed, yes, you do still need to rinse quinoa,” Alejandra Ramos, the writer-cook behind Always Order Dessert said in n interview. “Not all brands do this automatically so you can’t assume.” Even when it has been rinsed, our experts want us to do it again.
The good news is that it’s fairly easy to rinse. The easies way is to rinse quinoa is in a fine mesh strainer. Just pour the dried quinoa in and hold it under cold running water, using your hands to stir. Let it drain right in the strainer while you measure your water or stock and then dump it in!!!
So, long story short, RINSE and ENJOY!
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