Several species are raised for amaranth “grain” in Asia and the Americas. Ancient amaranth grains still used to this day include three different species.

Amaranth was cultivated on a large scale in ancient Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru. Nowadays it is cultivated on a small scale there and in India, China, Nepal and other tropical countries. Amaranth is described as the crop of the future!

It has been proposed as an inexpensive native crop that could be cultivated by indigenous people in rural areas for several reasons:

It is easily harvested. Its seeds are a good source of protein. Compared to other grains, amaranth is unusually rich in lysine an essential amino acid. Common grains such as wheat and corn are rich in amino acids that amaranth lacks. Amaranth and other grains can complement each other.

The seeds of Amaranthus species contain about thirty percent more protein than cereals like rice, sorghum and rye. In cooked and edible forms, amaranth is competitive with wheat germ and oats – higher in some nutrients, lower in others.

It is easy to cook. Amaranth grains grow very rapidly and their large seed heads can weigh up to 1 kilogram and contain a half-million seeds in three species of amaranth.

Amaranth was one of the staple foodstuffs of the Incas and Aztecs. Another important use of amaranth was to prepare ritual drinks and foods. To this day, amaranth grains are toasted like popcorn and mixed with honey, molasses or chocolate to make a treat called alegría, meaning “joy” in Spanish.

Interest in the grain amaranth was revived in 1970s since it is gluten free, palatable, easy to cook and its protein is suitable for human beings. It was recovered in Mexico from wild varieties and is now commercially cultivated. It is a popular snack sold in Mexico, sometimes mixed with chocolate or puffed rice, and its use has spread to Europe and parts of North America.

Amaranth is called as a pseudo grain because of its flavor and other similarities to grains.

Amaranth seed flour has been evaluated as an additive to wheat flour by food specialists. Generally with the addition of more than 15% amaranth grain flour, there were significant difference in the taste and the products containing more amaranth were found to be unpalatable

Amaranth species are cultivated and consumed as a leafy vegetable in in many parts of the world.

In Indonesia and Malaysia, leaf amaranth is called bayam, while in the Philippines it is called tkilitis or “kulitis”. In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it is called Chaulai. In Karnataka, it is called Harive and in the state of Kerala, it is called ‘Cheera’ and is consumed by stir-frying the leaves with spices and red chillies to make Cheera thoran.

In Tamil Nadu State, it is called முளைக்கீரை and is regularly consumed as a favourite dish, where the greens are steamed, and mashed, with light seasoning of salt, red chillis and cumin. It is called keerai masial (கீரை மசியல்). In Andhra Pradesh this leaf is added in preparation of a popular dal called thotakura pappu (తొట కూర పప్పు in Telugu).

In Maharashtra, it is called “Shravani Maath” (literally माठ grown in month of Shravan) and it is available in both red and white colour. In Orissa, it is called “Khada saga”, it is used to prepare ‘Saga Bhaja’, in which the leaf is fried with chillies and onions,

The root of mature amaranth is a popular vegetable. It is white and cooked with tomatoes or tamarind gravy. It has a milky taste and is alkaline.

In China, the leaves and stems are used as a stir-fry vegetable, or in soups. In Vietnam, it is used to make soup. In Greece, green amaranth is a popular dish and is called vlita or vleeta. It is boiled, then served with olive oil and lemon like a salad, with fried fish. Greeks stop harvesting the plant when it starts to bloom at the end of August.

In Sri Lanka, it is called “koora thampala”. Sri Lankans cook it and eat it with rice. Fiji Indians call it choraiya bhaji.