Micro amaranth
Amaranthus tricolor · Grain
Top 10 pairings
Micro amaranth is the young seedling of the amaranth plant (genus Amaranthus), harvested only one to three weeks after sowing, when the first true leaves have just unfurled above the seed leaves. Prized for its vivid magenta-to-burgundy stems and little jewel-toned leaves, it carries a concentrated, surprisingly intense version of the mature plant's earthy, nutty, faintly beet-like flavour and is used almost always raw — scattered as a garnish, folded into salads, or laid across plated dishes for colour.
Picking a good onedrag
Fresh pale-gold seed, clean and nuttyDull and dusty, smells of crayon
Pantry seedEveryday bestSimmer 20-25 min into sticky porridge or atole, or spoon it into soup to thicken. Cook it, never raw; coeliacs, buy a pack marked gluten-free.
Colour through the bagPale gold, a scatter of darker seeds in it
Smell a handfulPlain and grainy, the nuttiness gone quiet
Pour a handful through your fingersA little fine dust, nothing moving in it
Whole seed or milledWhole seed from a bin that turns over fast
These cues are Amaranth's, and hold across its varieties; where this one differs, its own page says so.