Naomi made some delicious granola that I tried during my visit. She told me about amaranth, a grain she put into the granola. I was instantly attracted to it not only because it was in her amazing granola, but because I've been looking for new and exciting ingredients to add to my no-added sugar diet (more on that to come)!
Actually, the real reason I was so interested in this was because Naomi told me that if it is put into a hot pan with a bit of oil, it will pop just like popcorn! I just had to see this, so I bought some at Whole Foods this week and tried it myself:
amaranth grains
tiny little bundles of joy
about half of the grains popped, and the texture definitely changed!
Not only is this grain a source of cheap entertainment, it is gluten-free, very high in protein, high in lysine and high in iron. It has been around for over 8,000 years and was used by the Aztecs as a regular part of their diet.
