Foods of the Américas: Amaranth, the Outlaw Grain

Huaútli — banned by the Spanish Empire and the Catholic Church since 1519

Huaútli is the Aztec name for a plant so important to the people, it was banned by the invading Spanish Empire led by Hernán Cortez and the Catholic Church in 1519.

Today huaútli is most commonly known as amaranth, a super-food gaining worldwide recognition as a high-protein plant edible that could easily figure into the solution for world hunger. Although not considered a…