Wonder crop: Amaranth

Centeotl, my internship home organization promotes amaranth cultivation and consumption.  Although the nutritional profile of this grain is similar to quinoa, containing tons of protein, folic acid, etc, etc, it is rarely eaten in Oaxaca, except in the form of alegrias, a candy made with amaranth and panela, unprocessed sugar.  The leaves are also edible and high in iron but outside of Centeotl I haven't heard of anyone that eats it.

Amaranth, known as huautli in nahuatl, was an important item in prehispanic religious ceremonies.  According to training that Centeotl gave us, amaranth was prohibited by the Spanniards because it was used in a similar way to how communion is taken in the Catholic church.  People who continued the crop or consumed the products had their hands cut off in punishment.  In the diet of pre-hispanic Mexico, amaranth, together with corn, was a basic element, together forming a complete protein.  Luckily, amaranth survived in some communities and now Centeotl as well as other nonprofits and private companies, seek to revive its use.

In Greek, amaranth means ‘unwithering’ and it is a crop with great potential to decrease malnutrition in low-income communities because of its high nutritional content and the low requirements for production, although harvesting can be complicated.  Additionally, the grain’s cost is 3 times that of corn and can become a significant source of income in a community of ‘campesinos’.

There are different varieties of Amaranth but the most used in Zimatlan and neighboring towns is the Amaranthus hipochondriacus.  Since taking the Centeotl workshops and doing interviews in Zimatlan and nearby communities, I have tripled my enthusiasm for amaranth.  I eat it every day and I try to come up with new ways to integrate it in common dishes.

Centeotl has been working with local communities since 1994.  They work with youth in education and cultural development, community development through microloans with women groups, and housing and sustainable agricultural projects.