| Aug. 28th, 2004 @ 02:13 pm Amaranth |
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IN MEDICINE: Amaranth is used primarily for gastrointestinal upsets - gastroenteritis, stomach flu and diarrhoea to mention a few. An external application can reduce tissue swelling, from things such as tick bites or sprains. Native Americans used it as a contraceptive and to prevent menstruation - and it is NOT to be used by pregnant or lactating women.
It is very healthy to incorporate Amaranth into your diet - it contains tocotrienols (a form of Vitamin E), which are known to lower cholesterol. When cooked, Amaranth is 90% digestible, and because of this, it is suggested to be given to those recovering from illness or ending a fast.
Before the Spanish conquest in 1519, the Aztecs associated Amaranth with human sacrifice, and the women would make a mixture of ground Amaranth seed and honey or human blood, which they would shape into idols and eat ceremoniously. The conquistadors were horrified, and decided that eliminating amaranth would eliminate the sacrifices. So the grain was forbidden by the Spanish and fell into obscurity for hundreds of years. If a few remote areas of the Andes and Mexico had not continued to cultivate the herb, Amaranth may well have become completely lost to us.
IN MAGICK: Associated with immortality, Amaranth is often used to decorate images of gods and goddesses - and it is sacred to the goddess Artemis. When worn in a wreath, it is said to render the wearer invisible. Also used to repair a broken heart, and plays an important role in Pagan burial ceremonies.
IN THE GARDEN: The name Amaranth is based on the Greek for “never-fading flower”. A tall, bushy plant (5-7 feet tall) with very broad leaves (ranging in colour from deep red, orange, pink, green and white), Amaranth produces many thousands of seeds, which, along with the leaves, are edible (there is no definite distinction between Amaranth grown as a vegetable (for the leaves) or as a grain (for the seeds). The flowers are very showy, producing feathery plumes, from a flower head of small, clover-like red or magenta blooms, while the seed-heads resemble bushy corn tassels containing tiny golden/tan coloured seeds. It is related to pigweed, beets, spinach and other plants in the goosefoot family (Chenopoiaceae), and is not a “true” grain, but an annual herb.
Amaranth resists heat and drought, has no major disease problems - and is remarkably easy to grow. Some say it is as easy as scratching the soil, dropping some seeds and then watering!
IN THE KITCHEN: The seeds are often made into flour, which has a pleasant, nutty taste, and is used in the same way as wheat or other grains, to make bread, pasta, cookies, sauces, and various other products.
In Mexico, however, the seeds are milled and roasted and used to create a traditional drink, “atole”, or they are popped (like popcorn) and mixed with a sugar solution to make “alegria” - in India they are treated similarly to produce “laddoos”. In Peru, the seeds are fermented and made into a type of beer. Amaranth seeds are made into a gruel known as “sattoo” in Nepal, where they are also milled to make flour for chappatis. The flowers are more commonly used in the Cusco area, to treat toothache and fevers, as well as to colour maize or quinoa.
The leaves (which reportedly taste much like spinach and are at their best if consumed when the plant is young and tender) are commonly used as a vegetable in both Mexico and Peru, either boiled or fried - and this is gaining popularity in many Western countries also.
This is not all there is to know about Amaranth!
Do you know something more about it - how about a recipe?
Please, comment here (anonymously if you wish!) and add your knowledge to the project (if your knowledge includes a useful website on this topic, by all means, add the link. There is no such thing as too detailed, in this project!).
(Last edited: Saturday August 28th) |
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