▁grown ▁as ▁a ▁c rop ▁primarily ▁for ▁its ▁ed ible ▁se eds ; ▁the ▁se eds ▁are ▁rich ▁in ▁protein , ▁di et ary ▁fi ber , ▁B ▁vit am ins , ▁and ▁di et ary ▁min er als ▁in ▁amounts ▁greater ▁than ▁in ▁many ▁gra ins . ▁Qu ino a ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁grass , ▁but ▁rather ▁a ▁pseud oc ere al ▁botan ically ▁related ▁to ▁spin ach ▁and ▁am ar anth ▁( A mar anth us ▁s pp .), ▁and ▁origin ated ▁in ▁the ▁And e an ▁region ▁of ▁north western ▁South ▁America . ▁It ▁was ▁first ▁used ▁to ▁feed ▁liv est ock ▁ 5 . 2 – 7 ▁thousand ▁years ▁ago , ▁and ▁for ▁human ▁consumption ▁ 3 – 4 ▁thousand ▁years ▁ago ▁in ▁the ▁Lake ▁Tit ic aca ▁bas in ▁of ▁Peru ▁and ▁Boliv ia . ▁ ▁Today , ▁almost ▁all ▁production ▁in ▁the ▁And e an ▁region ▁is ▁done ▁by ▁small ▁far ms ▁and ▁associations . ▁Its ▁cultiv ation ▁has ▁spread ▁to ▁more ▁than ▁ 7 0 ▁countries , ▁including ▁Ken ya , ▁India , ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁and ▁several ▁European ▁countries . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁increased ▁popular ity ▁and ▁consumption ▁in ▁North ▁America , ▁Europe , ▁and ▁Austral asia , ▁qu ino a ▁c rop ▁prices ▁triple d ▁between ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁ ▁Bot any ▁ ▁Description ▁ ▁Chen op od ium ▁qu ino a ▁is ▁a ▁dic oty led on ous ▁annual ▁plant , ▁usually