Quinoa is an Andean plant which originated in the area surrounding Lake Titicaca in Peru and Bolivia. Quinoa was cultivated and used by pre-Columbian civilizations and was replaced by cereals on the arrival of the Spanish, despite being a local staple food at the time.

What cultures eat quinoa?

Quinoa Is An Ancient Food

It originated with the Incas in the mountains of Bolivia, Chile and Peru. It's been at the forefront in these regions for 5,000 years. It was a staple for the Incas and is still a prominent food source for their indigenous descendants, the Quechua and Aymara people.

Where was quinoa predominantly grown?

Chief growing areas for the world's quinoa crop are in Peru and Bolivia, with Ecuador, Colombia and Argentina represented to a lesser degree, as shown by the brown and tan ovals on the map. Altogether this area produces 117 million pounds of quinoa annually, about a third of which is organic.