Summer, 2001

Amaranth - The Grain with a Future
courtesy, Grain Process Enterprises Ltd.

Brief History

Amaranth is native to Mexico and Central America where it was once a staple of early native American civilizations. It fell into disuse following the Spanish conquests in the 16th century.

Amaranth grain is presently used in many different cultures around the world. The seed is very valuable as a foodstuff and as a cash crop in areas of Nepal and India. It continues to be a specialty crop in Mexico and South America.

Characteristics

Amaranth is a fast-growing, drought resistant plant that produces a small seeded grain in a sorghum-like head. The most commercially useful amaranth seeds are pale-colored, lenticular in shape and generally about 1 - 1.5 mm in diameter. Grain Amaranth has a sweet, nutty taste, and a high quality protein content. The relative ratios of the essential amino acids (i.e.: lysine and methionine) compare very well to that of an "ideal" protein. (Standard protein scored at 100, amaranth 75 and wheat 53). The grain also contains a high level of unsaturated fatty acid, dietary fiber and minerals as compared to the conventional cereal grains.

Nutritional Value For Average Wheat and Amaranth

		Wheat	Amaranth
Proximate
	Protein	14.0%	15.5%
	Total lipid (fat)	2.0%	7.6%
	Total dietary fiber	16.5%	17.5%
	Ash	1.9%	3.2%
	Total Carbohydrates	60.0%	64.5%
	Food Energy (calories per 100g)	343	366
			.
Minerals (mg per 100 g)
	Calcium	39.0	187.0
	Phosphorus	383.0	455.0
	Magnesium	22.0	288.0
	Iron	3.5	10.0
	Copper	0.2	0.9
	Zinc	1.0	3.8
	Sodium	3.0	32.0
	Potassium	388.0	420.0
Vitamins (mg per 100g)
	Thiamin	0.54	0.10
	Riboflavin	0.12	0.21
	Niacin	6.36	1.31

Practical Uses

Amaranth seeds can be popped like popcorn, expanding to about 10 times the original volume. The popped amaranth has a toasted, nutty flavour, and can be used in a variety of ways: in confections bound with sorghum, molasses or honey; in high-energy granola bars. Because amaranth has very little gluten, if any, it is recommended to use 50:50 ratio of amaranth flour to whole wheat flour in a sweet dough. When amaranth seed is boiled in water and then chilled, it develops  gelatinous texture possibly due to a waxy starch similar to cornstarch. Therefore it can be used to prepare jam-like fruit spread using no pectin and very little sweetener.

Because of the unique characteristic and nutritional profile of the seed, amaranth has been identified as a new potential crop for certain specialized applications.

This information sheet was reprinted with permission from: Grain Process Enterprises Ltd. 39 Golden Gate Court, Scarborough, ON  M1P 3A4
Telephone: (416) 291-3226

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