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

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Explanation

Quinoa is a South American flowering plant and also the name of the starchy, edible grain that's harvested from it. Quinoa, like rice, oats, and barley, is a grain that's delicious when it's boiled or steamed. The part you eat is the protein-rich seed of the quinoa plant, which is closely related to both amaranth and spinach. Quinoa is an ancient food, native to the Andes Mountains and eaten by humans for about 4,000 years. Its name comes from a Spanish spelling of the Incan kinua.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

quinoa

Foods including avocado, quinoa, açaí, aguaymanto, chia, and pumpkin seeds were incorporated as locally accessible options.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

"The only things that started growing were docks and thistles," said Pawsey, whose entire quinoa crop failed.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

It’s the same logic that turned lobster from prison food into a luxury, or quinoa from a staple into a “superfood.”

From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2026

They banked almost 500,000 seeds from 19 species, including relatives of lettuce, parsnip, strawberry, radish, quinoa, blackberry, alfalfa and several species used as fodder crops for livestock.

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026

There were smiles on many faces, for we had feasted well on deer and quwi stew, corn-dough loaves and quinoa, wild strawberries and large, juicy cherimoyas.

From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis

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