quinoa

American  

[keen-wah, kee-noh-uh] / ˈkin wɑ, kiˈnoʊ ə /

Also quinua

noun

1. a tall crop plant, Chenopodium quinoa, of the amaranth family, cultivated mainly in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile for its small, ivory-colored seed, which is used as a food staple.

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quinoa British  

/ ˈkiːnəʊə, kwɪˈnəʊə /

noun

1. a grain high in nutrients traditionally grown as a staple food high in the Andes

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Etymology

Origin of quinoa

First recorded in 1615–25; from Spanish quinoa, quínoa, quinua, from Quechua kínua, kinúwa

Example Sentences

Delgado chalks up his health to the fact that he’s been a pescatarian for 45 years, with a penchant for salmon, avocados, quinoa and garbanzo beans, and that he prioritizes hydration.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2025

He is making more salads and eating more high-protein foods such as quinoa.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 15, 2025

Add dried herbs and spices, pasta, grains like rice and quinoa, canned beans, tomato products, and baking basics such as flour, sugar, baking soda and powder.

From Salon • Jan. 2, 2025

Insects may well become the “superfoods” of the future, as coveted as quinoa and berries.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2024

Less well known are Africa’s combination of sorghum, African rice, and pearl millet with cowpeas and groundnuts, and the Andes’ combination of the noncereal grain quinoa with several bean species.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond