Pflanzerl made from Bavarian quinoa

Ten years ago, you could become an influencer with photos of a chia pudding that was decorated anew every day, and there was also enormous interest in other superfoods from South America. Back then, my wife and I studied the topic intensively, wrote two or three books, and even did research in Peru (including for a report in SZ Magazine ). The conclusion was very short: local superfoods like spinach, blueberries, flaxseed, walnuts, and horseradish are great, and South American superfoods are great in South America too. But it makes little sense to go to great lengths to powder all the valuable foods from the Amazon rainforest (and lose some of their healthy ingredients in the process), then transport the powders around the world and sell them at a very high price in Europe. With a magnificent view over Lake Titicaca, we spoke to the Peruvian professor of agricultural sciences, Ernesto Chura, in Puno. He explained to us that international seed companies were demonstrating potato and quinoa varieties in Peru, among other things, in order to then acquire them, patent them, and sell them as licensed products to the farmers who had first introduced them to this variety. The professor also spoke about positive cooperation projects with the Agricultural University of Hohenheim, which were researching the possibilities for quinoa cultivation in Germany. This reverse development aid has paid off; there is now professional cultivation, even a German Federal Quinoa Association.

The robust plant thrives in difficult climatic conditions; for example, the pseudocereal tolerates drought better than many traditional European grains. Quinoa has therefore become a domestic superfood, ideal as an ingredient in soups, as a salad, or as a side dish similar to rice. I also like to use the nutty seeds for quinoa kofte or quinoa patties. I enjoy digging out the antique sausage machine from the basement to shape my kofte – as you can see in the video . But of course, you can just as easily form long rolls or patties in your wet hand. The important thing is to press the kofte or patties gently but firmly so they don't fall apart later in the pan. The mixture is tender, so shape it firmly and fry it slowly until it's nice and crispy in a non-stick pan, turning it carefully.

Almost by chance, we perfected a second recipe while taking photos. I wanted to serve a simple grilled vegetable salad with the quinoa kofte. The salad tasted better than any grilled vegetable salad we'd had before, thanks to a special ingredient: slightly tart, yet sweet and aromatic dried mango strips from a Fairtrade project—a real discovery!

1. Soak the quinoa in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water, and let it drain. Cook the quinoa with 500 ml water or vegetable stock over medium heat for 15-17 minutes, until the grains are firm to the bite and no water remains. If there is still liquid in the pot, quickly reduce it over high heat. Remove from the heat and let the quinoa steam off a little in the pot, uncovered.

2. Finely dice the onions. Chop the garlic, rosemary needles, and fennel seeds. Sauté together in 2 tablespoons of oil with a pinch of salt for 3 minutes. Loosely knead the quinoa with the prepared ingredients. Add the soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of oil, and ground chia seeds, season with salt and pepper, and let stand for 10 minutes. Using a sausage machine or simply with wet hands, form kofte or small patties about 8 cm long and 2 cm thick. Coat in sesame seeds and fry in the remaining oil until golden brown and crispy on all sides—sometimes you need an extra splash of oil in between.

For example, quarter 2 red bell peppers, remove the membranes and seeds, drizzle with a little oil and cook either in the oven or on the grill until the flesh is soft and the skin more or less black. Briefly cover with a wet cloth, then peel off the skin and dice the flesh. Cut an eggplant into slices and fry or grill without oil until soft, then dice it too. Peel 1 red onion, quarter it and cut into thin strips. Pick 1 bunch of mint and cut it in half a couple of times. Cut 75g of dried mango (a sour variety like this one , alternatively: dried apricots) into strips. Mix everything together and season with the juice and zest of an organic lemon, salt, chili flakes and a drizzle of olive oil, let it sit for a while - or prepare it the day before.

Tip: Smaller quantities of quinoa don't cook very well, so this amount is a bit generous; it's enough for 6 servings. You can also freeze the quinoa raw, add it to the pan while frozen, and fry slowly over low heat until crispy.

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