# Amaranth grain
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{{Short description|Edible grain of the Amaranth genus}}
[[Image:Amaranth und WW.jpg|thumb|Amaranth grain (left) and [wheat](/source/wheat) (right)]]
{{Nutritional value
| name=Amaranth, '''uncooked'''
| water=11 g
| kJ=1554
| protein=14 g
| fat=7 g
| carbs=65 g
| fiber=7 g
| sugars=1.7 g
| iron_mg=7.6
| manganese_mg=3.4
| calcium_mg=159
| magnesium_mg=248
| phosphorus_mg=557
| potassium_mg=508
| zinc_mg=2.9
| pantothenic_mg=1.5
| vitB6_mg=0.6
| folate_ug=82
| thiamin_mg=0.1
| riboflavin_mg=0.2
| niacin_mg=0.9 }}
{{Nutritional value
| name=Amaranth, '''cooked'''
| water=75 g
| kJ=429
| protein=4 g
| fat=2 g
| carbs=19 g
| fiber=2 g
| iron_mg=2.1
| manganese_mg=0.9
| calcium_mg=47
| magnesium_mg=65
| phosphorus_mg=148
| potassium_mg=135
| zinc_mg=0.9
| vitB6_mg=0.1
| folate_ug=22
| thiamin_mg=0.02
| riboflavin_mg=0.02
| niacin_mg=0.24 }}
Species belonging to the genus '''''Amaranthus''''' have been cultivated for their [grain](/source/grain)s for 8,000 years.[{{cite web |url=https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/echocommunity.site-ym.com/resource/collection/E66CDFDB-0A0D-4DDE-8AB1-74D9D8C3EDD4/Amaranth_Grain_&_Vegetable_Types_%5BOffice_Format%5D.pdf |title=Amaranth: Grain & Vegetable Types |first1=G. Kelly |last1=O'Brien |first2=Martin L. |last2=Price |publisher=ECHO Technical Note |year=1983 |access-date=2019-09-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104015926/https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/echocommunity.site-ym.com/resource/collection/E66CDFDB-0A0D-4DDE-8AB1-74D9D8C3EDD4/Amaranth_Grain_%26_Vegetable_Types_%5BOffice_Format%5D.pdf |archive-date=2016-11-04 |url-status=dead }}] [Amaranth](/source/Amaranth) plants are classified as [pseudocereal](/source/pseudocereal)s that are grown for their edible starchy seeds, but they are not in the same [botanical family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) as true [cereal](/source/cereal)s, such as [wheat](/source/wheat) and [rice](/source/rice).[{{Cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/food/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cereal-grains-and-pseudo-cereals|title=Cereal Grains and Pseudo-Cereals - Dictionary definition of Cereal Grains and Pseudo-Cereals {{!}} Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary|website=www.encyclopedia.com|language=en|access-date=2017-04-13}}] Amaranth species that are still used as a grain are ''[Amaranthus caudatus](/source/Amaranthus_caudatus)'' [L.](/source/Carl_Linnaeus), ''[Amaranthus cruentus](/source/Amaranthus_cruentus)'' [L.](/source/Carl_Linnaeus), and ''[Amaranthus hypochondriacus](/source/Amaranthus_hypochondriacus)'' L''.'' The yield of '''grain amaranth''' is comparable to that of [rice](/source/rice) or [maize](/source/maize).
The grain was a [staple food](/source/staple_food) of the [Aztec](/source/Aztec)s and an integral part of [Aztec religious ceremonies](/source/Aztec_religion). The [cultivation](/source/Tillage) of amaranth was banned by the [conquistadores](/source/conquistadores) upon their conquest of the Aztec nation. However, the plant has grown as a [weed](/source/weed) since then, so its [genetic](/source/Genetics) base has been largely maintained. [Research](/source/Food_Research) on grain amaranth began in the United States in the 1970s. By the end of the 1970s, a few thousand acres were being cultivated there, and continue to be cultivated.[{{cite web |url=http://www.jeffersoninstitute.org/pubs/amaranth.shtml |title=Grain Amaranth: A Lost Crop of the Americas |author=Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute |access-date=2006-05-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427142236/http://www.jeffersoninstitute.org/pubs/amaranth.shtml |archive-date=2006-04-27 |url-status=dead }} ([http://www.jeffersoninstitute.org/pubs/amaranth_guide.pdf PDF version] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061009061326/http://www.jeffersoninstitute.org/pubs/amaranth_guide.pdf |date=2006-10-09 }} also available)]
Much of the amaranth grain currently grown is sold in [health food shops](/source/health_food_store). Grain amaranth is also grown as a [food crop](/source/food_crop) in limited areas of Mexico, where it is used to make a [candy](/source/candy) called ''[alegría](/source/Alegr%C3%ADa_(Mexican_candy))'' ([Spanish](/source/Spanish_language) for ''joy'') at [festival](/source/festival) times. In other preparations, the grain can be [popped like popcorn](/source/Popcorn) and then either mixed with honey, or served with milk, dried fruit and nuts like a cold [breakfast cereal](/source/breakfast_cereal). Amaranth grain can also be used to extract [amaranth oil](/source/amaranth_oil), a [pressed seed oil](/source/Vegetable_fats_and_oils) with commercial uses.
==Nutritional analysis==
Raw amaranth grain is inedible to humans and cannot be digested because it blocks the absorption of nutrients.[{{cite web|url=https://www.usaemergencysupply.com/information-center/all-about/all-about-whole-grains/all-about-amaranth|title=All About Amaranth|work=USA Emergency Supply}}]{{Better source needed|reason=Source is scientifically and nutritionally non-authoritative, doesn't even describe what substances may decrease nutrient bioavailability, and doesn't have any live references linked that confirm it's claim|date=January 2024}} Thus it has to be prepared and cooked like other grains. In a {{convert|100|g|oz|adj=on|abbr=off|frac=2}} amount, cooked amaranth provides {{convert|103|kcal|kJ|order=flip|abbr=off}} of [food energy](/source/food_energy) and is a moderately rich source of [dietary minerals](/source/dietary_minerals), including [phosphorus](/source/phosphorus), [manganese](/source/manganese), and [iron](/source/iron). Cooked amaranth is 75% water, 19% [carbohydrates](/source/carbohydrates), 4% [protein](/source/protein_(nutrient)), and 2% [fat](/source/fat) (table).[{{cite book
| title=Amaranth: from the Past, for the Future
| author=J.N. Cole
| publisher=Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA
| year=1979
}}][{{cite web|url=https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/6473?n1=%7BQv%3D1%7D&fgcd=&man=&lfacet=&count=&max=50&sort=default&qlookup=amaranth&offset=&format=Full&new=&measureby=&Qv=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011223056/https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/6473?n1=%7BQv%3D1%7D&fgcd=&man=&lfacet=&count=&max=50&sort=default&qlookup=amaranth&offset=&format=Full&new=&measureby=&Qv=1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 11, 2016 |title=Amaranth grain, uncooked per 100 g |publisher=USDA National Nutrient Database, SR-28|date=2016}}]
According to [Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization](/source/Educational_Concerns_for_Hunger_Organization) (ECHO), amaranth leaves are nutritious, and "amounts of
vitamin C, iron, beta carotene, calcium, folic acid and protein are especially high," however, amaranth leaves contain [anti-nutritional factor](/source/anti-nutritional_factor)s, including [oxalate](/source/oxalate)s, [nitrate](/source/nitrate)s, [saponin](/source/saponin)s, and [phenolic compounds](/source/polyphenol).[{{cite web|url=https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20053046922|title=Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. 63-89.}}] indicating that "research has shown that consumption of 200 grams of cooked amaranth poses no health problems."
Amaranth grain is high in protein and [lysine](/source/lysine), an [amino acid](/source/amino_acid) found in low quantities in other grains.[{{cite web | title=Growing Grain Amaranth as a Specialty Crop | author=Robert L. Myers and Daniel H. Putnam | publisher=University of Minnesota | url=http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/DC3458.html | work=Crop Systems | id=FS-03458-GO | year=1988 | access-date=2007-10-03 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071003064651/http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/DC3458.html | archive-date=2007-10-03 | url-status=dead }}][{{cite web|title=Amaranth - Alternative Field Crops Manual|url=http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/amaranth.html|access-date=1 September 2011|publisher=University of Wisconsin & University of Minnesota}}] According to the [FAO](/source/Food_and_Agriculture_Organization), amaranth grain as a source of protein is "superior in content and quality to traditional cereals".[{{cite web|title=Evaluation of the Nutritional Quality of the Grain Protein of New Amaranths Varieties [2015]|url=https://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=US201500151169}}] Amaranth grain is deficient in essential amino acids such as [leucine](/source/leucine) and [threonine](/source/threonine)[{{cite journal|author=Ricardo Bressani, Luiz G. Elias and Arnoldo Garcia-Soto|year=1989|title=Limiting amino acids in raw and processed amaranth grain protein from biological tests|journal=Plant Foods for Human Nutrition | volume=39|number=3|pages= 223–234|doi= 10.1007/BF01091933|pmid=2514423|s2cid=35082498}}][{{cite journal|title=Chemical Composition of the Above-ground Biomass of Amaranthus cruentus and A. hypochondriacus|journal=Acta Vet. Brno|volume=75|year=2006|pages=133–138|url=http://actavet.vfu.cz/pdf/200675010133.pdf|access-date=2011-09-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402153611/http://actavet.vfu.cz/pdf/200675010133.pdf|archive-date=2012-04-02|url-status=dead|doi=10.2754/avb200675010133|last1=Písaříková|first1=B.|last2=Peterka|first2=J.|last3=Trčková|first3=M.|last4=Moudrý|first4=J.|last5=Zralý|first5=Z.|last6=Herzig|first6=I.|doi-access=free}}] – both of which are present in wheat germ.[{{cite journal|author=Garcia|title=Composition of Air-classified Defatted Com and Wheat-Germ Flours|journal=Cereal Chemistry|volume=49|number=5|pages=499–507|year=1972|url=http://ddr.nal.usda.gov/bitstream/10113/31532/1/CAIN729098901.pdf|display-authors=etal|access-date=2011-09-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328041838/http://ddr.nal.usda.gov/bitstream/10113/31532/1/CAIN729098901.pdf|archive-date=2012-03-28|url-status=dead}}][{{cite web|title=Nutrition Content - Wheat Germ Crude per 100 g|url=http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5743/2|publisher=Conde Nast for the USDA National Nutrient Database, Release SR-21|date=2014|access-date=1 September 2011}}] Amaranth grain is free of [gluten](/source/gluten), which makes it a viable grain for people with [gluten intolerance](/source/gluten_intolerance).
{| class="wikitable"
! Synopsis[raw, uncooked] !! [Wheat](/source/Wheat)[{{cite web|url=http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/6482 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107154146/http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/6482 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 7, 2014 | title= Wheat, hard red winter. USDA Nutrient Database}}] !! [Rice](/source/Rice)[white, long-grain, regular, raw, unenriched] !! [Sweetcorn](/source/Maize)[sweet, yellow, raw] !! [Potato](/source/Potato)[white, flesh and skin, raw]
|-
! Component (per 100g portion) !! Amount !! Amount !! Amount !! Amount !! Amount
|-
| water (g) || 11 || 13 || 12 || 76 || '''82'''
|-
| energy (kJ) || '''1554''' || 1368 || 1527 || 360 || 288
|-
| energy (kcal) || '''371''' || 327 || 365 || 86 || 69
|-
| protein (g) || '''14''' || 13 || 7 || 3 || 1.7
|-
| fat (g) || '''7''' || 2 || 1 || 1 || 0.1
|-
| carbohydrates (g) || 65 || 71 || '''79''' || 19 || 16
|-
| fiber (g) || 7 || '''12''' || 1 || 3 || 2.4
|-
| sugars (g) || 1.7 || <0.1 || >0.1 || '''3''' || 1.2
|-
| iron (mg) || '''7.6''' || 3 || 0.8 || 0.5 || 0.5
|-
| manganese (mg) || 3.4 || '''4''' || 1.1 || 0.2 || 0.1
|-
| calcium (mg) || '''159''' || 29 || 28 || 2 || 9
|-
| magnesium (mg) || '''248''' || 126 || 25 || 37 || 21
|-
| phosphorus (mg) || '''557''' || 288 || 115 || 89 || 62
|-
| potassium (mg) || '''508''' || 363 || 115 || 270 || 407
|-
| zinc (mg) || '''2.9''' || 2.6 || 1.1 || 0.5 || 0.3
|-
| pantothenic acid (mg) || '''1.5''' || 0.9 || 1.0 || 0.7 || 0.3
|-
| vitB6 (mg) || '''0.6''' || 0.3 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 0.2
|-
| folate (μg) || '''82''' || 38 || 8 || 42 || 18
|-
| thiamin (mg) || 0.1 || '''0.3''' || 0.1 || 0.2 || 0.1
|-
| riboflavin (mg) || '''0.2''' || 0.1 || >0.1 || 0.1 || >0.1
|-
| niacin (mg) || 0.9 || '''5.4''' || 1.6 || 1.8 || 1.1
|}
The table below presents nutritional values of cooked, edible form of amaranth grain to cooked, edible form of wheat grain.
{| class="wikitable"
! Synopsis[Amaranth grain, cooked] !! [Cereals](/source/Cereals), whole wheat, cooked[{{cite web |url=http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/1903 |title=Cereals, whole wheat hot natural cereal, cooked with water, without salt. USDA Nutrient Database |access-date=2015-09-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312070234/https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/1903 |archive-date=2016-03-12 |url-status=dead }}]
|-
! Component (per 100g portion) !! Amount !! Amount
|-
| water (g) || 75 || '''83'''
|-
| energy (kJ) || '''429''' || 259
|-
|energy (kcal)
|'''103'''
|62
|-
| protein (g) || '''4''' || 2
|-
| fat (g) || '''2''' || 0.4
|-
| carbohydrates (g) || '''19''' || 14
|-
| fiber (g) || 2 || 2
|-
| sugars (g) || n/a || n/a
|-
| iron (mg) || '''2.1''' || 0.6
|-
| manganese (mg) || 0.85 || 0.85
|-
| calcium (mg) || '''47''' || 7
|-
| magnesium (mg) || '''65''' || 22
|-
| phosphorus (mg) || '''148''' || 69
|-
| potassium (mg) || '''135''' || 71
|-
| zinc (mg) || '''0.9''' || 0.5
|-
| pantothenic acid (mg) || <0.1 || n/a
|-
| vitB6 (mg) || '''0.11''' || 0.07
|-
| folate (μg) || '''22''' || 14
|-
| thiamin (mg) || <0.1 || 0.07
|-
| riboflavin (mg) || 0.02 || '''0.05'''
|-
| niacin (mg) || 0.24 || '''0.8'''
|}
==Cultivation ==
There are about 75 species in the genus ''Amaranthus''.[{{Cite journal|last=Zhu|first=Fan|date=2017-01-22|title=Structures, physicochemical properties, and applications of amaranth starch|journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition|volume=57|issue=2|pages=313–325|doi=10.1080/10408398.2013.862784|issn=1040-8398|pmid=25831476|s2cid=39781503}}] Many species of amaranth grain are hardy plants, showing resistance to changes in pH, salt content, environment, temperature, and drought.[{{Cite journal|pmid=23072528|year=2013|last1=Rastogi|first1=A|title=Amaranth: A new millennium crop of nutraceutical values|journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition|volume=53|issue=2|pages=109–25|last2=Shukla|first2=S|doi=10.1080/10408398.2010.517876|s2cid=41446218}}]
Some examples of Amaranth species are ''Amaranthus albus, Amaranthus blitoides, Amaranthus hybridus, Amaranthus palmeri, Amaranthus powellii, Amaranthus retroflexus, Amaranthus spinosus, Amaranthus tuberculatus,'' and ''Amaranthus viridis''.[{{Cite web|url=https://plants.usda.gov/java/invasiveOne|title=U.S. Invasive Weeds|publisher=Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Department of Agriculture|website=plants.usda.gov|access-date=2017-03-29}}] The name derives from the plant's tendency to sprout where hogs are pasture-fed. Although both its leaves and its seeds are edible, pigweed amaranth has not been cultivated as a food crop.
== Cultural uses ==
[[File:Alegrias03.JPG|thumb|[Alegría](/source/Alegr%C3%ADa_(Mexican_candy)), a Mexican [snackfood](/source/snackfood) made with amaranth grain]]
The [Aztecs](/source/Aztecs) cultivated amaranth as a staple grain crop in what is now Mexico during the [pre-Columbian](/source/pre-Columbian) period.[{{Cite news |url=https://www.texasobserver.org/the-seeds-that-time-forgot/|title=Amaranth: The Seeds That Time Forgot|date=2013-04-17|work=The Texas Observer|access-date=2017-03-29|language=en-US|author=Saul Elbein}}] Amaranth was used by the Aztecs for [tamale](/source/tamale)s, [tortillas](/source/Wheat_tortilla), and [atole](/source/atole) (hot cereal).{{citation needed|date=April 2017}} In addition they formed shaped images of their gods with amaranth, agave, and maize during the sacred month of [Huitzilopochtli](/source/Huitzilopochtli).[{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IBuHDQAAQBAJ&q=mexican+amaranth+candy&pg=PT53 |title=Eating Traditional Food: Politics, identity and practices|last=Sebastia|first=Brigitte|date=2016-11-18|publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781317285939 |language=en}}] At the end of the month, the statues were eaten by the families to "take the god into them".[{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/10/29/359829045/decoding-the-food-and-drink-on-a-day-of-the-dead-altar|title=Decoding The Food And Drink On A Day Of The Dead Altar|date=29 October 2014|access-date=2017-03-29|publisher=National Public Radio (USA)|language=en|author=Karen Castillo Farfan}}] Edible skulls were historically made with amaranth seeds, although today they are made out of sugar.