The northern region is dominated by plains, with both plateaus and mountains. The edible varieties of quinoa are mainly planted in high-altitude mountainous areas with an altitude of more than 3000 meters and a rainfall of 300 mm in the Andes.
Quinoa
Quinoa (scientific name: Chenopodium quinoa willd) is native to the Andes in South America. It is the main traditional food of Inca aborigines, and its planting history is over 5000-7000 years. Because of its unique, rich and comprehensive nutritional value, it nurtured the Incas, and the ancient Incas called it "the mother of food". The color of quinoa seeds is mainly white, black and red, and there is little difference in nutritional components. Among them, white tastes the best, black and red tastes relatively poor, and some seeds are small. Quinoa was used as space food for astronauts by NASA in the1980s. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) believes that quinoa is the only food that can basically meet the basic nutritional needs of human beings with a single plant, and formally recommends quinoa as the perfect nutritious food most suitable for human beings. The United Nations declared 20 13 as the International Year of Quinoa to promote human nutrition, health and food safety and achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
Chenopodiaceae belongs to Chenopodiaceae and dicotyledonous plants. The plants are broom-shaped, and the plant height ranges from tens of centimeters to three meters. The root system belongs to shallow root system, and inflorescences, main shoots and lateral branches are self-seeded and pollinated. The seed is in the shape of a round medicinal tablet, with a diameter of about 1.5-2mm, which is similar to that of millet and lighter than millet. 1000-grain weight 14.5g-3g, and the epidermis of large grain is covered with a layer of water-soluble saponin. Because its leaves are like duck feet, its English name is also called goosefoot. The seeds of different varieties are different in size and color, most of them are grayish white and milky yellow, and some varieties are dark, such as black and purple.