The crop, quinoa, is native to which of the following mountain ranges?
A. The Sierra Nevada Mountains in the U.S.
B. The Atlas Mountains in Africa
C. The Andes Mountains in South America
D. The Ural Mountains in Russia
C.
Quinoa (pronounced kin-WAH) is native to the Andes Mountain region (although today quinoa is grown in more than 70 countries worldwide). According to HuffPost Life, quinoa starts its life as a leafy green stalk that sheds its leaves when the quinoa seed is ready to be harvested. Once the quinoa seeds are separated from the seed heads, they are rinsed to remove the seeds’ bitter coating of saponin, a protectant against natural predators like birds and insects. Quinoa is then shipped to supermarkets all over the world—to be consumed in salads and veggie burgers alike.
