Top chefs and Andean indigenous communities come together to present their favourite quinoa recipes in FAO´s ‘Recetario Internacional de la Quinua: Tradición y vanguardia’ recipe book

“The richness of quinoa is not only in the grains of its colourful panicles. Its value lies in the knowledge gathered by the Andean people, which has allowed for the preservation of diverse varieties, improvement of its performance and the development of a cuisine around quinoa.”

José Graziano da Silva
FAO Director-General

Over 60 recipes from world-renowned chefs and Andean indigenous communities form part of the international recipe book, ‘Recetario Internacional de la Quinua: Tradición y vanguardia’ (International Quinoa Recipe Book: Tradition and innovation) which will be presented by FAO during the closing ceremony of the International Year of Quinoa on 14 December in Bolivia followed by the closing ceremony in Peru on 16 December.

One of the forgotten crops, initially an ingredient used only in the most modest of Andean households, quinoa has the potential to play an active role in the eradication of hunger due to its excellent nutritional qualities; adaptability to extreme and diverse climatic conditions, as well as its contribution to biodiversity. With FAO’s support, a great number of countries in Africa, Asia and the Near East will soon start with experimental quinoa cultivation.

As the title suggests, this book brings tradition and innovation together, in a unique collection of quinoa-inspired dishes (starters, main courses, desserts and drinks) originating from a wide variety of continents, which highlight quinoa’s versatility as an ingredient that can be easily incorporated into cuisines from all over the world. Diverse ingredients, flavours and cooking methods, as well as different cultures, come together in this book whose goal is to further promote the cultivation and consumption of quinoa on a global level and to reach the plate of those suffering the most from food insecurity. In addition, the book also provides cooking tips and a glossary of useful terms, together with information on quinoa’s exceptional nutritive qualities and a map of global quinoa production.

Contributions were made by top chefs such as Joan Roca (Spain), Claus Meyer (Denmark), André Chiang (Singapore) and Claude Troisgros (Brazil), among others, who created new dishes for the recipe book.

It must also be underlined that this recipe book would not have been possible without the contribution of the local indigenous communities who have maintained, protected and preserved quinoa as food for present and future generations. In addition, these communities have shared their recipes, mainly through local non-governmental organizations in the Andean region, to enrich this book by adding the important element of tradition.

‘Recetario Internacional de la Quinua: Tradición y vanguardia’ is the product of the successful collaboration between FAO and Chefs Against Hunger, a campaign from the Hunger-Free Latin American and the Caribbean Initiative, in which prestigious international chefs, cooks and gastronomic critics participate. The campaign is committed to improving the nutrition of the people from the region, with a special emphasis on the most vulnerable. An additional contribution was made by Aramark who provided photographs of the dishes.

Diversify your diet, start cooking quinoa now and spread the word by downloading the recipe book (in Spanish) here.