Quote:
Originally Posted by vmo1
Just make sure you rinse it really really well...crunchy dirt in the quinoa REALLY ruins a dish lol
Another good reason to rinse it (several times) is that quinoa that hasn't been rinsed well will have a bitter, soapy taste. Most packaged quinoa has already been rinsed. I have found that some companies do a better job of rinsing than others, so I rinse it again in several changes of water, just in case.
FYI trivia (explaining the soapy taste and reason for rinsing):
As quinoa grows, the seed is coated with a dark, almost black layer of 'saponine' that has a bitter, soapy taste. Saponine is the plant’s natural defense against insects, birds and other small animals that might want to eat it. Before Quinoa can be eaten, the saponine must me washed off. (As saponine acts as a crude soap, the locals who grow Quinoa, save the saponine-water and wash their clothes in it!) Virtually all Quinoa sold in North America as food already has the saponine removed.