What is amaranth and what does it taste like?
In terms of taste, you can compare Amaranth to a cross between brown rice and wheat berries or whole wheat. In terms of appearance, they resemble sesame seeds when raw. When cooked, however, it becomes glossy and resembles caviar. As a whole, Amaranth is quite versatile and has a unique flavor.
What is amaranth. benefits, nutrition and uses?
Top 9 Benefits of Amaranth
- High Source of Protein. The protein contained in amaranth is of an unusually high quality, providing nine grams for one cup of cooked grain.
- Reduces Inflammation. Amaranth has the power to reduce inflammation, which is associated with just about every health condition.
- Supports Bone Health. ...
- Helps Lower Cholesterol. ...
- Aids Digestive System. ...
What can I do with amaranth?
Serve amaranth instead of rice.
- Use 2.5 to 3 cups of water to 1 cup of amaranth.
- Simmer it in a covered pan for approximately 20 minutes.
- All the water should absorb and the grains should be fluffy when finished.
- You can also toast the amaranth in butter and add some of it into a rice pilaf with rice and other grains.
How to grow and care for Amaranth?
- First, empty your seed packet and soak the seeds in a shallow bowl overnight. ...
- Get a seed starter tray with a plastic cover to trap humidity. ...
- Fill each compartment with some potting mix. ...
- Take your seeds and put 5 into each compartment. ...
- Besides, if two or more sprout per compartment, that’s fine. ...
- Backfill with a thin layer of soil. ...
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What is amaranth flour good for?
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.
What does amaranth flour taste like?
Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Amaranth Flour has a mild but distinct, slightly sweet, nutty, earthy, malt-like flavor. It enhances the flavor of baked goods, and it's very easy to use. Simply substitute it for 25% of your recipe's wheat flour!
Can I substitute amaranth flour for all purpose flour?
Amaranth Flour The flour is too dense to be used on its own but can substitute for all-purpose flour in baked goods by up to 25 percent. Amaranth flour has an earthy, grassy taste. Therefore, it works better in savory dishes like breads and pizza dough as well as to thicken sauces, gravies and soups.
Is amaranth flour better than wheat flour?
High Fiber, Lower Carbs Compared to 1 cup of wheat flour, however, amaranth has more grams of fiber—18 grams compared to 13. In addition, amaranth has more fiber than other gluten-free grains, such as buckwheat and millet where each contains 17 grams. In comparison, white flour contains 3.4 grams of fiber.
Is amaranth flour healthy?
Amaranth is a nutritious, gluten-free grain that provides plenty of fiber, protein and micronutrients. It has also been associated with a number of health benefits, including reduced inflammation, lower cholesterol levels and increased weight loss.
How do you use amaranth in cooking?
Amaranth can be used in savory dishes as well as a sweet breakfast porridge, while the popped amaranth can be sprinkled over salads, stirred into soups, baked into breads and cookies, or simply enjoyed as a snack or even a breakfast cereal. The flour can be incorporated into baked goods like bread and pizza dough.
Is amaranth hard to digest?
Some grains are easier on the gut than others, and amaranth is one of them. Its amino acid complex contributes to this factor. It can even improve digestion.
How long does amaranth flour last?
Other Considerations: will not keep well if it is stored in a warm location or if it is exposed to sunlight. The flavor and aroma of amaranth flour will become bitter if it is stored improperly or for an excessively long period. Shelf Life: up to 4 months in the freezer in a sealed container or if tightly wrapped.
How do I substitute amaranth for flour?
Amaranth flour is a high-protein flour made from the seed of the amaranth plant. The flour can be used for making breads and Bob's Red Mill suggests substituting amaranth flour for up to 25% of the all-purpose flour in any recipe. Look for amaranth flour at health food stores or Asian markets.
Is amaranth flour good for diabetes?
Amaranth is a nutritious grain with an array of benefits for diabetics. Amaranth is rich in protein, fibre and other vital micronutrients. Apart from amaranth, other grains that are good for diabetics include millets, brown rice, quinoa and kamut.
Can you eat too much amaranth?
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.
Can you bake with amaranth flour?
Ways to use amaranth flour In yeasted breads, substitute up to 25 percent of the wheat flour with amaranth flour; in quick breads, muffins, flatbreads, pancakes, and pastries, substitute up to half a wheat flour (like whole-wheat pastry or spelt) with amaranth flour.
Does amaranth taste good?
They have a sweet and nutty flavor and are a bit crunchy when cooked. The greens of the plant are also edible and have a sweet flavor.
Is amaranth flour sticky?
Amaranth cooks to a rather sticky and glutinous texture, which limits its versatility. It can't always easily be substituted for other grains in recipes and for some palates may be a bit too overpowering to be used as a bed of grain for other dishes.
What is amaranth similar to?
Nutritionally, amaranth is similar to quinoa, oats and brown rice.
Does amaranth taste like spinach?
Amaranth greens are similar in taste to spinach, if not a bit heartier in texture. Amaranth seeds taste nutty and delicious when popped, and when cooked into porridge, become slightly gelatinous in texture (similar to chia crossed with cream-of-wheat).
Buying, Cooking, and Recipes
Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.
What Is Amaranth?
Amaranth is considered a " pseudocereal " rather than an actual grain since it's technically a seed. Other examples of pseudocereals are buckwheat and quinoa; both amaranth and quinoa are from the family Amaranthaceae. Like other cereal grains and pseudocereals, amaranth can be prepared in its whole seed form or ground into flour.
Amaranth vs. Quinoa
Because these seeds are from the same family, they share several qualities. Although amaranth and quinoa are referred to as ancient grains, they are both seeds; the two pseudocereals are also naturally gluten-free.
How to Cook With Amaranth
Depending on whether you are using the seed or flour will determine how the amaranth is cooked as the two forms are used very differently in recipes.
What Does It Taste Like?
Amaranth's flavor is nutty, herbal, and slightly peppery. It has a crunchy texture, similar to that of quinoa. Toasted or "popped" amaranth has a more enhanced nutty flavor and is lightly crisp.
Amaranth Recipes
Amaranth can be used in savory dishes as well as a sweet breakfast porridge, while the popped amaranth can be sprinkled over salads, stirred into soups, baked into breads and cookies, or simply enjoyed as a snack or even a breakfast cereal. The flour can be incorporated into baked goods like bread and pizza dough.
Where to Buy Amaranth
Whole amaranth and amaranth flour can be found in many grocery stores, often in the health-food sections, and can also be purchased from various online retailers. It's often sold by the pound or in bags of one, five, or 10 pounds, as well as in bulk.
Plant Source
Amaranth’s name comes from the Greek for “immortal” or “everlasting.” Despite its many health benefits, amaranth makes no claim to endow its users with immortality but is so-named because its seed is virtually indestructible.
Nutritional Data
Considered a pseudocereal unrelated to wheat or other true grains, amaranth not only delivers high-quality protein -- roughly 17 percent by weight -- but also contains plenty of other healthful nutrients. Its high levels of the amino acid lysine help your body to properly absorb calcium from the digestive tract.
Help for the Gluten-Sensitive
Individuals who experience allergic reactions to foods containing gluten can avoid or minimize these unpleasant symptoms by using amaranth flour in combination with other flours that are either gluten-free or extremely low in gluten content. Gluten is a protein composite found in many foods made from wheat and certain other grains.
Strong Antioxidant Properties
A team of Brazilian researchers conducted laboratory and animal studies to assess the antioxidant properties of Amaranthus hypochondriacus, one of the primary species used to produce amaranth flour.
What is Amaranth Flour?
Amaranth flour is a specialty flour derived from the amaranth, a plant native to Mesoamerica that’s cultivated throughout North and South America.
Origin
The seed of a plant native to Mesoamerica and cultivated throughout North and South America, grain amaranth is touted for its high nutritional value. It is also known as “prince’s feather.” The flour is traditionally used to make tortillas, pastries and tamales.
Function
Grain amaranth can be used in breakfast foods, bread, multigrain crackers, and pancake mixes. Experts contend more research and work is needed in product development, commercialization and marketing for it to be more widely used. 4
Nutrition
Amaranth flour has a protein content ranging between 14.5 and 17.8 percent. It also contains high amounts of lysine. 6
Commercial production
Milling is difficult because of its smaller structure. One amaranth milling experiment involved passing it through a barley pearler. The flour comes in several forms: whole, high and low bran. 1
Application
Amaranth flour is one of several specialty flours available for use as an ingredient. However, special care is needed for it to be successfully incorporated into a formula, according to Michael Suas and Frank Wing in Advanced Bread and Pastry: a Professional Approach. The amount used in bread or other baked goods should be monitored and tested.
FDA regulation
In May 1993, the United States Food and Drug Administration determined amaranth was a traditional food. Thus, it is not required to have generally recognized as safe status. 1
What Is Amaranth?from thespruceeats.com
Amaranth is considered a " pseudocereal " rather than an actual grain since it's technically a seed. Other examples of pseudocereals are buckwheat and quinoa; both amaranth and quinoa are from the family Amaranthaceae. Like other cereal grains and pseudocereals, amaranth can be prepared in its whole seed form or ground into flour. Since it's gluten-free, amaranth flour is a popular ingredient with gluten-free bakers.
What is the flavor of amaranth?from thespruceeats.com
Amaranth's flavor is nutty, herbal, and slightly peppery. It has a crunchy texture, similar to that of quinoa. Toasted or "popped" amaranth has a more enhanced nutty flavor and is lightly crisp.
How to use amaranth seeds?from thespruceeats.com
Another way to use amaranth is to pop it like popcorn. Add a tablespoon of uncooked amaranth seeds to a hot, dry skillet; the amaranth seeds will pop within a few seconds. Note that amaranth seeds are tiny, and although the popped amaranth will double in volume, even the popped kernels will still be very small.
How long can amaranth be stored in the freezer?from thespruceeats.com
Amaranth flour will stay fresh in the pantry for 2 to 3 months and in the freezer for up to 6 months.
How many species of amaranth are there?from en.wikipedia.org
There are about 75 species in the genus Amaranthus. Many species of amaranth grain are hardy plants, showing resistance to changes in pH, salt content, environment, temperature, and drought. Amaranth grains have genetic diversity and adaptive ability.
What is the difference between amaranth and quinoa?from thespruceeats.com
Amaranth is much more distinctive compared to quinoa, with a grassy smell and nutty, strong herbal taste that can be overwhelming for some. While quinoa's mildness allows it to take on the flavors of the other ingredients in the dish, amaranth takes center stage .
What was the food of the Aztecs?from en.wikipedia.org
The grain was a staple food of the Aztecs and an integral part of Aztec religious ceremonies. The cultivation of amaranth was banned by the conquistadores upon their conquest of the Aztec nation. However, the plant has grown as a weed since then, so its genetic base has been largely maintained.
What is amaranth flour
Amaranth is a versatile gluten free flour that can be used in many different ways. The tiny seeds of this plant are known as amaranth and can be ground to make a flour with properties similar to those of other grain-based flours, but with a higher content of protein, iron and fiber.
What does amaranth flour look like?
Amaranth flour has a slightly sweet taste with earthy undertones. The flour has a very fine texture, which makes it convenient to use in gluten free baking recipes.
How to cook with amaranth flour
You can use amaranth flour on recipes where you want to add a little bit of extra texture.
Where to buy amaranth flour?
Amaranth is native to Central America. It is now grown all over the world with an especially large production in India. It is a seed closely related to spinach and beets, which makes it similar in nutritional properties as well as flavor. You can find amaranth flour at natural food stores, specialty markets, or online.
The short of amaranth flour
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article about amaranth flour. If you’re new to cooking with it, don’t be intimidated by the prospect of using a new ingredient! Amaranth is an underutilized grain that can offer your dishes more nutrition and variety.
What Is Amaranth?from thespruceeats.com
Amaranth is considered a " pseudocereal " rather than an actual grain since it's technically a seed. Other examples of pseudocereals are buckwheat and quinoa; both amaranth and quinoa are from the family Amaranthaceae. Like other cereal grains and pseudocereals, amaranth can be prepared in its whole seed form or ground into flour. Since it's gluten-free, amaranth flour is a popular ingredient with gluten-free bakers.
What is the name of the leaf of amaranth?from en.wikipedia.org
In Indonesia and Malaysia, leaf amaranth is called bayam (although the word has since been loaned to refer to the differently-genused spinach ).
How long can amaranth be stored in the freezer?from thespruceeats.com
Amaranth flour will stay fresh in the pantry for 2 to 3 months and in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Why is amaranth sprouted?from healthline.com
Summary Amaranth can be sprouted to enhance digestion and mineral absorption. Cooked amaranth can be used in many different dishes.
How many grams of amaranth are in a cup?from healthline.com
In particular, amaranth is a good source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and iron. One cup (246 grams) of cooked amaranth contains the following nutrients ( 2 ): Calories: 251. Protein: 9.3 grams. Carbs: 46 grams.
Why do we sprout grains?from healthline.com
Sprouting makes grains easier to digest and breaks down antinutrients, which can impair mineral absorption ( 22 ).
Does amaranth help with LDL?from healthline.com
Summary Some animal studies show that amaranth may help reduce levels of total and “bad” LDL cholesterol.
History of Amaranth
The Aztecs were so enamored with this plant and the use of it so ingrained in their culture that they built a statue to Huitzilopochtili, a god, using Amaranth seeds and honey.
What Makes Amaranth So Nutrient-Rich?
Amaranth is often called a grain because it looks similar to those types of crops, but this plant that is often mistaken for a weed in the United States, boasts a far greater percentage of nutrients than most common grains, such as wheat, oats, and barley.
Edible Parts
Every part of the amaranth plant is edible: roots, seeds, stem, leaves, and flowers. Oil made from Amaranth plants can be used in food preparation, body lotions, soap, and related products.
How to Use Amaranth As Food
Amaranth is a versatile garden plant. It can be used in a plethora of ways and preserved for future use just like any other typical garden crop.
Amaranth Preparation Tips
Boil the chopped stems and – or leaves from Amaranth plants for roughly 10 minutes. Drain away the water, top the plant parts with olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, butter, and your favorite blend of spices and enjoy.
Amaranth Recipes
Amaranth Porridge – This warm morning treat is especially delicious topped with fresh fruit or foraged blackberries.
Natural Home Remedy Attributes and Uses
Amaranth contains gallic acid, vanillic acid, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. These antioxidant compounds could help protect the body from the damage caused by exposure to free radicals.
