Is it harmful to eat quinoa without rinsing it first?!

Question: I typically don't rinse it, though sometimes it might taste bitter if you don't, but in the cooking process it reaches temperatures where it really doesn't matter whether it was rinsed or not, so it isn't harmful. I wouldn't worry about it. It depends on the recipe, maybe.

Edit: I just looked it up and it says that quinoa sometimes has a coating on it called saponin. Maybe I am buying quinoa that isn't coated with it, because I have never experienced the bitter taste that some sites mention. Another site even says that most quinoa sold in the states already has saponin rinsed off. I guess it is a mixed bag of information.

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Answers: I typically don't rinse it, though sometimes it might taste bitter if you don't, but in the cooking process it reaches temperatures where it really doesn't matter whether it was rinsed or not, so it isn't harmful. I wouldn't worry about it. It depends on the recipe, maybe.

Edit: I just looked it up and it says that quinoa sometimes has a coating on it called saponin. Maybe I am buying quinoa that isn't coated with it, because I have never experienced the bitter taste that some sites mention. Another site even says that most quinoa sold in the states already has saponin rinsed off. I guess it is a mixed bag of information.

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Well,if the quinoa tastes bitter or the water starts to foam a bit,that means theres still saponins on the grain.Other than tasting bad,saponins have been known to hemolyze red blood cells.

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No, it's not harmful but it might taste a little bitter due to the saponins. I usually rinse it, but I've cooked it without and haven't noticed a difference in taste.

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