KEEN-wah
QUINOA A grain-like seed from South America, considered a superfood due to its high protein content and nutritional value.
15
Points in Scrabble
Base tile values • No multipliers applied
Quinoa is a flowering plant in the amaranth family grown primarily for its edible seeds. Native to the Andean region of South America, it has been cultivated for thousands of years and was sacred to the Inca civilization, who called it 'chisaya mama' or 'mother of all grains.'
Though technically a seed, quinoa is prepared and eaten like a grain, making it a popular gluten-free alternative to wheat, rice, and other cereals. It's one of the few plant foods containing all nine essential amino acids, earning its reputation as a superfood.
In word games, 'quinoa' is valuable as a Q word that breaks the usual Q-U pattern, using U-I-N-O-A instead. This unusual vowel combination makes it a strategic word to remember for difficult letter combinations.
Quinoa's rise from Andean staple to global superfood has had complex effects. While providing economic opportunities for farmers, increased demand has also raised prices for local populations who have relied on it for centuries.
The word 'quinoa' comes from Quechua 'kinwa' or 'kinuwa,' through Spanish 'quinua.' The Quechua language was spoken by the Inca Empire, and the grain was a staple food in pre-Columbian civilizations. The word entered English in the early 17th century through Spanish colonial accounts. The pronunciation 'KEEN-wah' reflects its Spanish spelling, though many English speakers initially said 'kwi-NO-ah' before the correct pronunciation became widely known.
Words with similar meaning
GRAIN
Cereal food (though technically a seed)
SEED
Plant embryo
SUPERFOOD
Nutrient-rich food
PSEUDOCEREAL
Non-grass grain
Words with opposite meaning
JUNKFOOD
Low-nutrition food
REFINED
Processed grain
Plural Form
quinoas
Related Terms
Meal with quinoa base
Cold quinoa dish
Popped quinoa cereal
Ground quinoa
Premium variety
Total base points: 15 (Scrabble)
Vowels: 4 | Consonants: 2
Can be built from:
Can extend to:
Other high-scoring 6-letter words (Scrabble)
If you can't play QUINOA, consider these subwords:
"She prepared a colorful salad with quinoa, roasted vegetables, and feta cheese."
"Quinoa contains more protein than most grains, making it popular with vegetarians."
"The ancient Incas considered quinoa sacred and held planting ceremonies for it."
[object Object]
Pronunciation
KEEN-wah, not kwi-NO-ah
Classification
Seed, not grain, though used like grain
Preparation
Must rinse to remove bitter saponins
Practice unscrambling letters to find more high-scoring words like QUINOA