印度莧菜籽
莧菜分布熱帶和溫帶,是一種速生植物,它們有些已成家種,有些還為野生。莧菜也是亞洲和中美洲人們的一種常用蔬菜,近來,它引起了人們的重視,因為其葉子含大量的蛋白質,種子富含賴氨酸,而一般植物蛋白中賴氨酸的含量比較低。
莧菜種子含有13％的蛋白質(其中,賴氨酸占全部蛋白質的6％左右)和62％的淀粉。
商品編碼:AMC001
印度名:
Kanta chaulai
英文名:
Amaranth or Pigweed 
植物學名:
Amaranthus spinosus 
（中國進出口網）

Code:AMC001
Hindi Name:
Kanta chaulai
English Name
:
Amaranth or Pigweed
Botanical_Name:
Amaranthus spinosus
Description
:
Amaranthus cruentus is a common flowering plant species that yields the nutritious staple amaranth grain. It is one of three Amaranthus species cultivated as a grain source, the other two being A. hypochondriacus and A. caudatus. In Mexico it is called Huautli and Alegria and in English it has several common names, including purple amaranth, red amaranth, and Mexican grain amaranth. Amaranthus cruentus is a tall annual herb topped with clusters of dark pink flowers. The plant can grow up to 2 m (6 ft) in height, and blooms in summer to fall. It has now naturalized in most states. It is believed to have originated from Amaranthus hybridus, with which it shares many morphological features. This species was in use as a food source in Central America as early as 4000 BC. The plant is usually green in color, but a purple variant was once grown for use in Inca rituals.
Uses
:
The seeds are eaten as a cereal grain. They are black in the wild plant, and white in the domesticated form. They are ground into flour, popped like popcorn, cooked into a porridge, and made into a confectionery called alegra. The leaves can be cooked like spinach, and the seeds can be germinated into nutritious sprouts. While A. cruentus is no longer a staple food, it is still grown and sold as a health food.