In the past I’ve posted a lot of Peruvian recipes and about some of my favorite Peruvian foods (there are a few non-Peruvian products in there). If you didn’t know, Peru is known for its culinary diversity. Unfortunately, when I was working with Mayu’s knitters in the Peace Corps, I can’t say I had the most exciting food. I spent a lot of time carbo-loading on rice, noodles, potatoes and the very best bread in the whole of Peru. The bread part is no joke! Maybe that explains why Mayu’s artisans knit our beautiful, Fair Trade alpaca scarves and alpaca wraps so quickly — all that energy from the carbs? Or, maybe because they are super skilled and have been knitting since the young age of 4! Learn more about the knitters here.

What I didn’t have enough of, and wish I did, was Amaranth, otherwise know as Kiwicha, a grain that is native to the Andes Mountains. One of the most popular Peruvian snacks are called Kiwicha Balls (see picture below). In fact, one of my Peace Corps friends worked with a cooperative of Kiwicha farmers to help market their products. Every once in a while, he’d share some of their experimental Kiwicha Balls — although they didn’t look perfect, they were delicious and nutritious.

Are you looking for a new grain too add to your diet? Tired of Quinoa. I suggest taking a quick trip to your local market (Whole Foods bulk section too) to pick up some Amaranth. You can boil it like rice, toast it, ground it or pop it! Learn more about Peruvian Kiwicha here. Oh, and if you can find the plant, you can use the flowers to paint your face a deep color red — a popular method used during traditional Peruvian celebrations!

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