About Us
Take a farmer with an itch to do something new and an agronomist with a passion for health food and what do you get? The first quinoa grown in New Zealand!
Dan and Jacqui had the idea to grow quinoa in the Rangitikei after travelling through South America and noting the quinoa-growing regions of Peru bore quite a resemblance to home.
They harvested their first crop in 2016 with more to follow and now Kiwi Quinoa can be found on Kiwi dining tables nation-wide and have just added red and puffed quinoa to the range.
What is Quinoa?
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is native to the South American continent. It has been consumed for thousands of years and was known as the “Mother Grain” by the Incas. Technically it is not a grain but a pseudocereal, meaning it is a seed which is prepared and consumed like a grain. Once a staple for the Andean people, it has recently exploded in popularity world-wide on the back of a rich nutritional profile.
Quinoa can be a nourishing alternative to rice, pasta and other grains. It is an excellent source of nutrients and is being increasingly recognized for its wealth of health benefits. In addition, quinoa is being touted as significant to global food security, so much so that The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation declared 2013 “The International Year of Quinoa”.
Further adding to the credentials of this amazing plant, NASA have considered it for long-term manned space flight, stating back in 1993 “While no single food can supply all the essential life sustaining nutrients, quinoa comes as close as any other in the plant or animal kingdom.”
Quinoa. An ancient grain with a bright future – here in New Zealand and the world over.
Quality
We pride ourselves on producing locally grown quinoa which is superior in quality, taste and functionality.
Kiwi Quinoa is a unique ‘sweet variety’ which does not contain bitter saponins found in most other quinoa. As a result it is wholegrain, without the requirement of processing and polishing to remove the saponin. This makes it more user-friendly in the kitchen and helps retain its complete nutritional profile while giving a unique golden colour and a mild, nutty taste with no bitterness.
Food safety and quality are central to our beliefs and are both a vital part of growing our business.
Kiwi Quinoa operates under the Food Act 2014 through a New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries approved Food Control Plan. Additionally we are an NZGAP approved grower. We partner with market leaders throughout our supply chain in science, harvesting, testing, logistics, manufacturing, packaging and distribution.
We do not apply any herbicide, insecticide or pesticide sprays on our quinoa plants. We focus on feeding our quinoa in a specific and tailored manor in order to achieve healthy plants which outcompete weeds and pests. Additionally we use independent laboratories for a wide range of testing.
All of this gives our customers confidence that they are buying the highest quality quinoa in both New Zealand and the world.
