Anyone who knows me, has eaten a meal with me, or has browsed my Pinterest for a short period of time knows what this article is going to be about.

Quinoa.

Quinoa, by definition, is the greatest food to ever exist. At least in my book.

I remember the first time I had quinoa. It was a few short years ago, my Sophomore year of high school. Little did I know that my life would be changed forever.

All dramatics aside, quinoa is actually an incredible food. It is a complete protein, consisting of vital amounts of amino acids that allow it to fall into this category. This is uncommon for any grain-like food, further proving its superiority.

But the impressive statistics don’t stop there. Quinoa also offers healthy fats, antioxidants, and vitamin E. The superfood also acts as an anti-inflammatory and is naturally gluten free.

One of the biggest draws to quinoa is its iron content. The concentration is impressive, as it is not a animal-based source of protein. Most people believe it is common knowledge that nothing contains more iron than meat.

Think again.

Quinoa does.

Many people believe quinoa is a grain, but the trickster strikes again. It’s actually not. Quinoa is considered a pseudograin, and is actually a seed that grows (obviously) from the quinoa plant.

We simply eat it as we would another grain, leading to the misconception.

And it keeps getting better. The taste. The versatility. You might ask, is there anything quinoa can’t do?

The answer is no.

Because quinoa is a pseudograin, it is easily able to be made into flour. This is a quick process (trust me, I’ve done it). All you have to do is throw the dry quinoa into a food processor/blender, and it’s ready to go—a healthier alternative to bleached white flour.

This flour can be used for baking, making pasta, or as a thickening agent. Basically, use it for anything you’d like.

Quinoa’s neutral, slightly nutty taste lends to many different spice profiles and combinations. Lots of people (my brother) complain the taste is bland, but it can be easily changed through any spice or simply mixing it with another flavorful food.

I eat quinoa with anything. I can assure you there is not a day that passes where I do not consume quinoa in one way or another. Cold, hot, with salt and pepper, plain, with cinnamon (don’t knock it ‘till you try it), in salad, in soup, as pasta—I’m not sure if there’s anything I haven’t tried.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re so ready to run to your nearest grocery store and pick up a package of the most perfect food in existence.

But a word of advice.

It’s pronounced “keen-wah.”

We were all quinoa amateurs at some point, but with that handy pronunciation, everyone’s going to think you’re an old pro.

Sometimes (all the time) I like to consider myself the quinoa master. There’s nothing I won’t try with this incredible little seed.