Abstract: Quinoa is rich in protein, and its protein content and dietary fiber are higher than those of ordinary grains. Therefore, quinoa has become a very popular food. But anyone who has eaten quinoa knows that cooked quinoa tastes very bitter. Why is this? Fresh quinoa has a layer of bitter saponin on its surface. If it is not cooked, it will have a bitter taste. How to remove saponins from quinoa? Let’s find out below. 1. Why does quinoa taste bitter?

Quinoa tastes bitter. This is related to a layer of substances called saponins (natural coating) on ??the outside of quinoa. Although the saponins are removed during processing, it still cannot be ruled out that there is still a small amount of saponins remaining on the quinoa. And a small amount of saponin can produce enough bitterness to affect the entire bag of quinoa.

2. How to remove saponins from quinoa

1. Soaking

The saponins in the outer layer of quinoa grains have been in the process of growth of quinoa plants. Playing the role of a "natural protective umbrella", saponin naturally has a bitter taste, but fortunately it is water-soluble, so you can simply soak it in water for a period of time to remove the water-soluble saponin on the surface. Completely removes the bitter taste.

The optimal soaking time for quinoa is 2 hours. Because during this period of time, the active nutrients of the seed germ can be fully stimulated, and the saponin can be completely eliminated without leaving any residue. The soaked quinoa fragrant rice has no bitter taste at all after cooking. Instead, it has a refreshing fragrance and a springy texture.

However, such a soaking method is not realistic. For example, office workers will not have enough time to make breakfast with quinoa in the morning. Moreover, soaking quinoa for a long time will cause the seeds to germinate and the nutrients will be lost.

2. Scrubbing

Compared with soaking, this method is more "simple and crude", but it is also more efficient, mainly in the use of time. Scrubbing is to put the quinoa in a container (bowl), fill it with water, and rub the quinoa directly with your hands, paying attention to control the intensity. By repeating this for about 5 times, the saponin in the outer layer of quinoa will soon fall off, and the problems of germ germination and nutrient loss caused by long-term soaking will be avoided, and the time will be greatly saved.

3. Buy quinoa that has had its saponins removed

Since the quinoa just picked from the farmland has a bitter taste, some brand manufacturers will use the process Remove the saponin from the outer layer of quinoa, but it is generally not recommended to buy this type of quinoa. Because during this processing, it must be washed with water and dried at high temperature. As a result, although the peeling process of quinoa is very clean, a lot of nutrients in the germ are also lost. Therefore, for consumers, it is not preferred to directly purchase quinoa that has had its saponins removed. .

In general, it is more ideal to remove quinoa saponins by scrubbing it for about 5 times, which can better keep the nutrients of quinoa from being destroyed and completely remove the bitter taste. saponin removal method.