Quíñoa refers to both a plant and its gluten-free seeds in the Chenopodium Genus, or Goosefoot family of plants, as it’s more commonly known. Traditionally, Quinoa was primarily grown in the mountainous regions and highlands of the Andes in South America, and has been cultivated as a staple food crop among the indigenous peoples of the Andean region for thousands of years. As the number of more health-conscious, and gluten-intolerant consumers has increased, global demand for gluten-free grains, fortified with high protein and essential amino acids has likewise increased. Interest in the grain crop has recently skyrocketed, particularly after the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) formally recognized Quinoa as a “superfood” among health foods in 2013, as the grain has high concentrations of protein, nutrients, and essential amino acids, is low in fat and has no gluten. Given Quinoa’s high nutritional value, and exponentially increasing demand for Quinoa, attention is now focused on farming and export production of Quinoa to satisfy this global demand. However, Andean production currently is proving insufficient to meet the exponentially increasing global demand for Quinoa.