PERUVIAN FOOD AND NATURAL PRODUCTS

Here we want to offer you a small guide of tipical products and food of Peru. We also want to show the world, some natural products who grow in Peruvian soil, wich in many cases, are use to cure some medical problems.

THE KIWICHA

It was domesticated and grown from the prehispanic epoch in the Andes and in México.Nuts have been found in tombs with 4,000 years of antique in our country. The proteins contents of the grains oscillates between 13% and 18%. The grain possesses calcium, phosphore, potassium, zinc, vitamine E and complex vitaminic B

In the Andes have benn collected over 1,200 ecotypes. They know varieties according to the grains and panícula forms, for the color of the plant and another characteristics. More varieties known are : Noel Vietmeyer ( turned pink of the Cusco ), of pink grain. Oscar Blanco ( the Cusco's white ), whose leaves utilizes itself as hortaiza. Chullpi, of grains fellow blowout and once was made suitable in order to cooking short.

 

USES:
Food : The seed burns away once was cooked with candy, in toasted form, in the shape of flour toasted, etc. Formerly " api achita " was very common or "lagua de achita", a very nutritious milk sort and of easy digestion in order to people of any age. The leaves burn away as greens once was cooked.
Forage for cattle.
Ornamental.
Medicinal: the root's cooking uses athwart diarrhea itself. The cooked leaves for inflammations of bladder, rheumatic pains and irritation of mouth and throat ( in gargles ). the fresh stems's infusion serves as laxative.

The Kiwicha ( or quihuicha ) as such does not use herself in the kitchen. Rather it is utilized as secondary ingredient.

To prepare dishes that use the Kiwicha, is necessary first to prepare the cooked Kiwicha