Amaranth is an annual plant originating from Central and South America and is heat and drought resistant making it very easy to grow.
The leaves can be used in salads or as a cooked green like spinach while the seeds can be used in cakes or biscuits or ground into a flour, popped for cereal, sprouted or toasted.
The seeds are high in calcium, magnesium, iron and the amino acid, Lysine. They are also high in zinc, vitamin B and E and contain up to 20% protein. The leaves contain three times more calcium and three times more vitamin B3 than spinach leaves and are also an excellent source of carotene, iron, protein, vitamin C and trace elements.
Popping the seeds is very easy and only takes about five minutes. Simply dry fry them in a pan continuously stirring until they pop.
Amaranth often grows as a 'weed' and can look quite plain compared to the red spiked variety but both the leaves and seeds are edible
Red amaranth creates a stunning feature in the garden