Quinoa

The United States’ loves new trends, new seasons, new clothes, new eras, and new food. The United States' latest food obsession is quinoa, a protein-packed, superfood that is a chenopod traditionally cultivated by generations of indigenous Bolivians (Jancuruva, 2014, 71-79). All over the world, very specifically in the United States and Bolivia, quinoa has had a huge cultural significance. Quinoa was domesticated thousands of years ago on Bolivia’s dry mountain plains. Its seeds have a light, nutty taste, and when cooked quinoa looks almost translucent (Jacobson, 2011,390-99). For many people it’s a delicious food, and it's eaten in America as a side to many diverse meals. Quinoa can be eaten like rice or as cereal, or it can be boiled in
It’s a very healthy, delicious alternative that pairs well with, and goes well with almost any food. The protein content per one hundred calories is higher than brown rice, potatoes and barley, countering that, it is less than wild rice or oats (Capodistrais, 2008). Quinoa’s protein content is very high for a cereal, and the grain is rich in essential amino acids, hence why so many people in America, in the new age are rushing to the grocery stores to buy it (Ward, 2011). In the past couple of years Bolivian farmers worked with European and American foreign aid organizations. Together they started growing quinoa for specifically for international export out of Bolivia (Romero, 2011). Although quinoa is a superfood and is feeding millions everyday its environmental effects of its farming and cultivation may be harsher than one would imagine for such a healthy
This is a hard problem to have, the trade off between these two things is great. Quinoa is helping malnutrition over the world but it's causing devastating harm in the land that produces it, causing harm to the land and people. While quinoa prices have almost tripled over the past five years, Bolivia’s consumption of the crop fell 34 percent at the same time. There is chronic malnutrition in children had climbed in quinoa-growing areas in recent years. This change is due to climbing prices and more quinoa being destined for export (Romero). Quinoa’s climbing prices in the United States show the culture differences in the United States. Quinoa in grocery stores is now being sold at almost five dollars a box. Unfortunately there is a very limited group of people that can afford to buy quinoa. It is a very expensive food, and only a certain income can afford. Quinoa is a delicacy for the upper class in America. Quinoa is a food that mostly available for the rich, upper class in America because they are the ones that can really only afford it. People who do not have as much money need more bang for their buck so they will look elsewhere to shop for nutrition. It is very unfortunate that Bolivia exports over 90% of the United States quinoa, but it’s completely devastating the people who farm it (Oelke). It’s shocking