We have been working in the development of Quinoa as a new food resource for over a decade. This has involved extensive seed collection expeditions throughout the South American continent, along with farming projects in both North & South America (where Quinoa originates). We have collected extensively from sites off the beaten track, including Indian reservations, isolated mountain valleys, the Tierra del Fuego, etc.... What we have found was a single species of plant that has many varieties suited for growing in a wide range of environmental conditions. At the time we started this seed collection, Quinoa had been going in the direction of extinction, and many people only remembered seeing the seeds in their youth. Quinoa on the whole is a very hearty plant, and grows in some of the most extreme conditions on the planet. It can tolerate salty soils, high elevation, and freezing conditions. Quinoa is very closely related to the Lambs Quarter plant, and is believed by some to have been created by the constant selection by man of the white seed that ever so rarely appears among the normally black-seeded lambs quarter plants. So by nature it contains the hearty characteristics of a weed! During our expeditions, we encountered many varieties of Quinoa seed, ranging from small black seed to brown seed, to mixes of colors, all the way up to big white seed. Several agricultural research institutes in Bolivia & Peru have been researching and hybridizing Quinoa to conform to certain demands of the marketplace and the farmer---these demands being white color, large size, no bitter agents in the external seed coat, and of course high yields! So what has been going on is that geneticists and botanists have been transforming the genetics of the original native Quinoa grain in the same way as scientists have developed white rice lines, wheat lines, yellow corn, etc. Along this route plants lose some of their natural resistance, nutritional value, as well as other beneficial qualities, in exchange for higher yields,larger size and white color. Also, without the bitter seed coat inherent in Quinoa, birds can severely damage a crop, unheard of with the more bitter-coated varieties. However, researchers feel that all this can be controlled by chemical methods like sprays, pesticides, etc.. We recognized this trend several years ago, at the same time realizing that these native strains of Quinoa were not only more resistant to pests, etc. , but more appealing in taste to many people. Having a very organic bent from the start, and being dedicated to the preservation of heirloom seed we determined that the only way to go was with the unchanged native non-hybrid seed which we encountered on our journeys. What we have developed, then, are native varieties of Quinoa quite different from the big white-grained Quinoa, in the same way that Blue, and Indian Corn look quite different from hybrid corn. Our grain has about 10% coffee-colored seeds, which are a window on its genetic past. In fact, we have some varieties that are totally coffee colored. These cafe-colored grains give the grain more of a nutty aromatic flavor, most appealing to those of a naturalist orientation. Those who still prefer bland white rice over more nutritious brown rice will probably like the white variety of Quinoa with its impressive size and neutral taste. Our Quinoas are run through several hulling machines that mechanically remove the bitter saponin coating on the seed. (This coating acts to protect the grain from infestation, including rats, birds, insects, etc.) In the unhulled state practically nothing will bother it! Once hulled it becomes much more sensitive to infestation in the same way as rice after hulling. At no time does our grain touch water during its processing, since we feel this increases the rate in which the grain deteriorates due to an increased humidity content. Some South American processors get around this by drying the grain out using propane-fueled drying systems. We feel that this measure only speeds up the loss of nutrients. Additionally, it is very costly to return the humidity in the grain back to its original state, so that it usually always ends up with a higher humidity, leading to increased spoilage! Over the years we have developed a completely dry process which we strongly believe preserves all the subtleties of Quinoa's native grain flavor.

Naturally, all our Quinoa is organically grown to the highest standards and we are presently certified organic by BOLICERT.

For more information /sales contact: bio@safariseeds.com