Quinoa

[Jim S]

Quinoa has a good amino acid profile, reasonable levels of vitamins, good amounts of energy (though not comparable to fats/simple sugars) and is ok with space to weight ratio. None of this is really that ideal for ultralight packing, but where quinoa comes into it's own is with its versatility.

*It can be cooked (for when you want something hot) – with a one hour pre-soak it will cook quicker than rice.
*It can be sprouted (for when fuel is scarce) – only takes 2-3 hours and the nutritional value is actually increased.
*It is covered in saponins. The water used for cooking/soaking can be used to wash the dishes/utensils/your socks/hands etc.
*The granules are slippery and move around easily. If you take enough it would make a comfortable cushion for the top layer of a pillow (haven't tried this, but it sounds semi-plausible).
*It has limited odour, so won't stink up your bag.
*Fish stupefier – if you're in a survival situation and need food you can use the saponins to stupefy fish in a small pond. The saponins rob oxygen from the water and the fish become unconscious and float to the surface. Just put it in a sock and whirl it through the water for a while. Of course, having said that, you'd have to have still water or a small pond, and a lot of quinoa, and if you had the quinoa, you aren't exactly hungering for food. Still, it's an extra layer to the quinoa allure, and who knows, maybe you ran out of quinoa but saved the water from cooking/soaking?
*Stress balls – put some in a balloon and worry away those hours spent deciding what gear/food to pack before a big trip.
*Mice and other pests won't eat it in your camp. The saponins that cover it are a natural deterrent.

If you're a cost conscious person like myself it isn't as cheap as rice, but is still cheaper per meal than a lot of other foods, and is more versatile than rice with a higher nutritional value in most areas.

[David Thomas]

*The granules are slippery and move around easily. If you take enough it would make a comfortable cushion for the top layer of a pillow (haven't tried this, but it sounds semi-plausible).

I haven't tried it with quinoa, but it worked will in an airplane neck-pillow filled with buckwheat.

*Fish stupefier – if you're in a survival situation and need food you can use the saponins to stupefy fish in a small pond.

As you say, if you're hungry, eat the quinoa. If you want to stupefy fish, use "Indian Soap Root":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorogalum_pomeridianum

Because you can eat a fish raw (e.g. Golum) but it takes 12 hours to cook the root.

Edited to say: But mostly, eat the Quinoa because while it isn't as cheap as rice, it is taster and adds variety to your menu.

[Bob Gross]

Get the raw quinoa, cook it normally, then put it in a food dehydrator to run overnight. The next day, you have dehydrated quinoa, which I call instant quinoa. It is simple to carry in a ziploc bag and does not spoil. When in backpacking camp, it can be thrown in with instant soup or anything else for simmering or boiling. If you are short on fuel, you can just cover it with cool water and let it stand. In any form, the flavor is just a little more interesting than rice.

–B.G.–

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