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

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

“It’s traditionally done with rice and beans, but this one I do with lentils and red quinoa, which those two by themselves are powerfully protein and fiber packed,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 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

Typically, I get the protein breakfast with quinoa, egg whites and chicken.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2025

Kidney beans, peanuts, green and red chili peppers, sorrel, cress, and quinoa, yucca and cucumbers, and of course potatoes and corn were piled, steaming, into the people’s bowls.

From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis