Bob and Midge Leventry left Peoria for Ecuador in the Peace Corps in 1993, and today they are the largest importer of organic quinoa in Great Britain and among the top importers in the United States
Grain gurus -- Quinoa market is growing again, thanks to former Peoria couple
Apr 21, 2004
byClare Howard
uinoa is always on the menu when Midge Leventry hosts dinner parties at her 16th floor luxury condo on North Jefferson Street with breathtaking views of Chicago's Sears Tower and the John Hancock Building.
While some people in Ecuador, where quinoa is grown, regard the grain as "pig food" or "dirty food," this ancient grain is a staple in Leventry's kitchen. She and her husband, Bob, believe the grain is perfect for a modern, fast-paced lifestyle yet rich in its heritage, which dates back to indigenous pre-Incan people.
Bob Leventry was an executive vice president at Peoria's RLI Corp. Midge Leventry taught food and nutrition at Illinois Central College. They left Peoria for the Peace Corps in 1993, and today they are the largest importer of organic quinoa in Great Britain and among the top importers in the United States.
The journey from Peoria to Ecuador to corporate headquarters in their condo in Chicago is an adventure that has attracted international attention, raised thousands of Ecuadorans out of poverty and malnutrition, and promoted a remarkable grain that is a unique, plant-based complete protein.
"I didn't know there was such a thing," said Midge Leventry, a Cornell University graduate. "I thought I was going to Ecuador with the Peace Corp to teach nutrition. I went there and learned."
Quinoa was the primary protein source of the ancient Puruhuans and subsequently the Incans. It grows at high altitudes on volcanic soils on the equator with a balance of 12 hours of dark and 12 hours of light. Those conditions are unduplicated in the United States, so the grain has not been successfully cultivated here.
Quinoa fell into disfavor among Ecuadorans, and people of wealth there eventually scorned the grain. Few farmers were producing quinoa because of the limited market.
Leventry recognized the grain's stellar nutrition and versatility. She developed recipes and nutritional data. The couple founded their company, IncaOrganics, in 1996. In 2003, they sold 120 metric tons of quinoa in Great Britain and 380 metric tons in the United States. That could easily double in three years, Bob Leventry said.
Today, 4,025 Ecuadoran farm families grow quinoa for IncaOrganics. To sell to the company, the families must retain one- third of their crop and sell only two-thirds. Since that requirement was implemented, the rate of malnutrition among the children of these farm families dropped from 74 percent to under 20 percent.
"And I'd like to know who those 20 percent are," Bob Leventry said, noting that income among these families has risen from $240 a year, below the Ecuadorian poverty rate of $360 a year, to over $500.
"They had been living in mud huts, and now they have concrete block houses, and they can buy a few cattle," he said.
But apart from the rich heritage of quinoa, the grain is an ideal food for the American lifestyle. Midge Leventry said it's virtually fool-proof to cook, can be prepared in advance for a week's menus of fast family dinners and is ideal for stir-fry, side dishes and salads. It also holds nutritional super-status.
Quinoa cooking tips:
- Leventry cooks multiple cups of quinoa at a time and stores it in her refrigerator for fast meals. She uses one part quinoa to two parts water. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. It cooks faster than brown rice and makes no difference if the grain is added to cold water or water already boiling.
- Use cooked quinoa for tabouli salad, paella and pilaf. Use it as a fill for wraps. Leventry typically undercooks it when she plans to use it in the future for stir fries. Add uncooked grain to soup for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Cooked quinoa is excellent for stuffed tomatoes and mushrooms.
- Quinoa has a 5-year shelf life before cooking.
- Leventry toasts the grain in a dry frying pan until it turns golden brown and then stores it in a glass container near the stove. Use toasted quinoa in place of toasted sesame seeds. Sprinkle on cooked vegetables, soups, rolls or salads. Toasted quinoa adds extra crunch and flavor.
- Quinoa flakes make a great oatmeal substitute. Mix flakes with honey and vegetable oil, spread on a baking sheet and toast for a nutritious granola.
- Quinoa flour is gluten-free and can be used for pancakes and cookies, substituted for white flour. Leventry often uses half whole wheat flour and half quinoa flour. The quinoa flour lightens the density of whole wheat.
- Quinoa is a low-carbohydrate grain with a low glycemic index of 35, making it ideal for people following a low-carb diet.
Quinoa dishes including salads and stuffed peppers are often for sale at Peoria Heights gourmet food shop Cyd's Sendsationals, 4607 N. Prospect Road.
Emily Henrickson, vice president at Cyd's, said she first tasted quinoa in a dip prepared at a resort in Punta Mita, Mexico. Since then she has used it in stuffed peppers and salads. This week, the shop is selling a warm quinoa salad with shrimp and asparagus.
"I really enjoy quinoa. It has a fresh, healthy, earthy taste," Henrickson said. "We do all fresh cooking, and quinoa is natural to incorporate into that approach."
For cooking quinoa at home, Leventry recommends these cookbooks: "The Art of Cooking with Quinoa" by Maria Baez Kijac; "The South American Table" by Maria Baez Kijac; and "The Splendid Grain" by Rebecca Wood.
IncaOrganics sells in bulk. Visit the company's Web site at www.incaorganics.com for distributors.
Bob's Red Mill is one distributor of IncaOrganics carried locally in Peoria. Naturally Yours, 4700 N. University in the Metro Center, will carry Bob's Red Mill quinoa in bulk.
"We love it. Everyone here makes it," said Yvonne Fyan, customer service supervisor at Bob's Red Mill in Milwaukie, Oregon.
"The IncaOrganics quinoa is already washed, easy to use, easy to cook and so fast. It has a wonderful earthy smell. I use it instead of rice because quinoa is far superior to rice nutritionally. Just add lemon juice, olive oil and you have a quick side dish. I wish more chefs would start cooking quinoa."
