Quinoa vs Cous Cous

dbanks80

I keep seeing so many posts around here about Quinoa and it seems to be healthier. So I bought some today. I loveeeee Cous Cous. Does Quinoa taste like Cous Cous or does it taste better? Or does it taste worse?

I am going to make some tonight/

db34fit69

Quinoa tastes better and is much healthier. It is also easier to cook than rice, as in it doesn't have as much risk to get either soggy or hard like rice. It also has more fiber than couscous.

howardheilweil

Much like couscous, quinoa will taste like what ever you season it with or put in it.

tavenne323

I've never had cous cous. But I have made quinoa. It kind of a nutty tasting rice. I don't make it very often but when I do I have to put stuff with it. It's also pretty filling, you don't need much.

shirerose

i don't know. but they are both really fun to say.

rachaelgifford

Is quinoa easy to cook with?

db34fit69

You can stuff it in peppers with the usual suspect (feta, ground beef, etc)

Zaniejane

I haven't double checked but I think cous cous is equal to quinoa in terms of protein and "healthiness". Check it out. I love the texture of quinoa:). I like it with lentils and cumin and curry powder, some veggies, in soups or salads.

ArtemisRuns

Quinoa is a whole grain. Cous cous is pasta.

stumblinthrulife

Qunioa is a whole grain, cous cous is more similar to pasta. Quinoa is a 'complete protein' - all nine essential amino acids. Cous cous is not.

So if you're into whole grains and minimal processing, quinoa is 'better'. If you aren't, then there are much cheaper sources of the same nutrients, you just need to mix and match a little.

dbanks80

I am excited about cooking it tonight. I plan to put sliced almonds and raisins in it.

Just_Scott

cous cous is short for cousin's; unless you are from West Virginia, nevermind, just eat the other stuff it is healthier....

SkagitYogini

i don't know. but they are both really fun to say.

:laugh:

rainbowbow

Quinoa has a completely different texture than couscous and pretty much tastes like whatever you cook it with. As such, if unprepared it will come out very bland.

Additionally, Quinoa must be rinsed rinsed rinsed rinsed as its covered in a toxic substance called Saponin. Even if your Quinoa says prerinsed go ahead and rinse it again before cooking.If you dont this could potentially cause things like stomach pain, diarrhea and symptoms of food poisoning (Learned this one this hard way! Let me tell you my family wasn't happy about it either!).

Chief_Rocka

Quinoa tastes far worse.

BeeMarieG

Quinoa is much healthier, but I'll be honest: I don't like the taste at all. I do love couscous, though.

Morn66

I am excited about cooking it tonight. I plan to put sliced almonds and raisins in it.

Make sure you rinse it well first! Quinoa has a natural coating on it that won't harm you, but it tastes very bitter and kind of soapy. It often comes pre-rinsed, but I still rinse it just in case.

As for which is "better": Couscous is pasta; quinoa is a seed (not a grain) and is probably more nutritious, although don't quote me on that. It certainly has more protein and fiber. It's easy to cook. I like to cook it in a mix of vegetable broth and coconut milk, plus some curry paste to give it a bit of Thai zing and then eat it with stir-fried vegetables. But really, you can use it in the same ways you'd use rice, and it cooks just about the same way.

cwolfman13

I'm big quinoa fan...was long before I knew anything about its nutrition. I also like cous cous (especially Israeli)...why not incorporate both into your diet...I know I do.

dbanks80

Quinoa has a completely different texture than couscous and pretty much tastes like whatever you cook it with. As such, if unprepared it will come out very bland.

Additionally, Quinoa must be rinsed rinsed rinsed rinsed as its covered in a toxic substance called Saponin. Even if your Quinoa says prerinsed go ahead and rinse it again before cooking.If you dont this could potentially cause things like stomach pain, diarrhea and symptoms of food poisoning (Learned this one this hard way! Let me tell you my family wasn't happy about it either!).

OMG!!!! Thanks for that info!!! The box says 'Pre-Washed No Rinsing" but I will be rinsing it.

TitaniaEcks

I think quinoa is less starchy but I like couscous better myself (specifically pearl couscous). The texture is fun.

TitaniaEcks

... also quinoa has a sharp nutty flavor and a scratchy texture that hurts the roof of my mouth, so I really have to be in the mood to eat it, but couscous always tastes good.

Zaniejane

I still say eat what you prefer to eat:

Just pulled my cous cous and quinoa out of the pantry:)

Yeah, the only ingredient in my true roots organic quinoa is organic quinoa,
My wildroots pearl harvest cous cous is made with wheat flour, garbanzo beans and funnily enough the last ingredient is red quinoa.
There is more fibre and iron in the quinoa. Wheat is a good good food IMO. It's just not very popular in 2013 with all the gluten free propaganda.

1/4 cup of quinoa has 5 g of protein and 170 calories
1/3 cup of cous has 6 g of protein and 170 calories

^ this is why I think I should eat the cous cous. I don't though. I bought this bag of cous cous in December and have hardly used it, but I eat the quinoa at least three times a week. My children make broccoli quinoa salad and I like to eat it as a side dish or in curried soups.

lisalsd1

I prefer the texture of quinoa over cous cous. I cook it the same way I would cook rice. If I want it plain, I usually use a low sodium broth. Sometimes, I'll cook it with tomato soup...or 1 part broth 1 part salsa (which is really good).

MiriCotton

My taste buds prefer Cous Cous, but Quinoa is super yummy! I often use it to substitute rice when making fried "rice." From what I've read Quinoa is actually a seed making it a complete protein which is why it's considered healthier.

zoodocgirl

I still say eat what you prefer to eat:

Just pulled my cous cous and quinoa out of the pantry:)

Yeah, the only ingredient in my true roots organic quinoa is organic quinoa,
My wildroots pearl harvest cous cous is made with wheat flour, garbanzo beans and funnily enough the last ingredient is red quinoa.
There is more fibre and iron in the quinoa. Wheat is a good good food IMO. It's just not very popular in 2013 with all the gluten free propaganda.

1/4 cup of quinoa has 5 g of protein and 170 calories
1/3 cup of cous has 6 g of protein and 170 calories

^ this is why I think I should eat the cous cous. I don't though. I bought this bag of cous cous in December and have hardly used it, but I eat the quinoa at least three times a week. My children make broccoli quinoa salad and I like to eat it as a side dish or in curried soups.

You're not comparing apples to apples here. Your "cous cous" is actually a blend of couscous (simply small pasta), garbanzo beans and quinoa, which you are comparing to..... quinoa alone. The protein in your couscous blend is primarily coming from the garbanzo beans and quinoa. The cous cous is just the pasta part. It's no more or less nutritious than any other pasta noodle.

I love the taste of both and cook with them frequently, but quinoa is certainly healthier (although currently fraught with socioeconomic issues for the growers of it who can no longer afford to eat their ancestral staple due to our mass consumption).

dbanks80

Ok I tried it and it is VERY good! I i like it better than cous cous. I like the texture the slight crunch to it!!!

JenSD6

Is quinoa easy to cook with?

Extremely. I generally make it in the rice cooker.

ashleymm625

You can stuff it in peppers with the usual suspect (feta, ground beef, etc)

thats what i did tonight with stewed tomatoes and ground turkey

ashleymm625

Ok I tried it and it is VERY good! I i like it better than cous cous. I like the texture the slight crunch to it!!!

glad you liked it!

Zaniejane

I still say eat what you prefer to eat:

Just pulled my cous cous and quinoa out of the pantry:)

Yeah, the only ingredient in my true roots organic quinoa is organic quinoa,
My wildroots pearl harvest cous cous is made with wheat flour, garbanzo beans and funnily enough the last ingredient is red quinoa.
There is more fibre and iron in the quinoa. Wheat is a good good food IMO. It's just not very popular in 2013 with all the gluten free propaganda.

1/4 cup of quinoa has 5 g of protein and 170 calories
1/3 cup of cous has 6 g of protein and 170 calories

^ this is why I think I should eat the cous cous. I don't though. I bought this bag of cous cous in December and have hardly used it, but I eat the quinoa at least three times a week. My children make broccoli quinoa salad and I like to eat it as a side dish or in curried soups.

You're not comparing apples to apples here. Your "cous cous" is actually a blend of couscous (simply small pasta), garbanzo beans and quinoa, which you are comparing to..... quinoa alone. The protein in your couscous blend is primarily coming from the garbanzo beans and quinoa. The cous cous is just the pasta part. It's no more or less nutritious than any other pasta noodle.

I love the taste of both and cook with them frequently, but quinoa is certainly healthier (although currently fraught with socioeconomic issues for the growers of it who can no longer afford to eat their ancestral staple due to our mass consumption).

"Healthy" is a subjective term. I am a vegetarian who doesn't consume a lot of dairy but I eat beans, legumes and vegetables regularly. It is very healthy for me to eat seitan made out of wheat gluten in order to meet my protein macros.
I rely on wheat for a percentage of my protein intake.
Just pulled another bag of couscous out of the cupboard. One ingredient: whole wheat couscous. 13 grams of protein per 100 grams for 370 calories. I realize I'm not comparing apples with apples:). I'm comparing couscous with quinoa.

And perhaps my definition of what is healthy is different than the Op's. I would think that pure semolina wheat granules would be considered healthy even by the clean eating types. Wheat has such a bad rap these days.

zombieyoshi

... also quinoa has a sharp nutty flavor and a scratchy texture that hurts the roof of my mouth, so I really have to be in the mood to eat it, but couscous always tastes good.

It shouldn't be scratchy, you may want to cook it longer and use more liquid. It should come out almost the same texture as rice.