White quinoa (lat. Chenopodium quinoa)
The birthplace of this grain crop is South America. Quinoa grows on the slopes of the Andes. It has an ancient origin and was one of the most important types of food along with corn and potatoes.
Quinoa is a very spectacular plant. It can grow up to 4 m tall, but is usually lower-1.5-2 m. It has a strong branched stem and alternate leaves, resembling the shape of a goose's paws. On young plants, they are green, but when the grain begins to ripen, the leaves turn yellow, red, or turn purple. After flowering, it forms tall candle-like brushes (like sorghum) or panicles of white, yellow and red flowers, consisting of separate clusters. The crop yields quite quickly - in 120 days from the moment of germination.
Quinoa grows well in the northern regions of Russia and Siberia, because its homeland is the cold slopes of the Andes. It is extremely undemanding to the soil, even in very poor and abandoned areas it gives good yields. Moreover, even the acidity does not play a role for it – it can grow on both acidic and alkaline ones.