Amaranth has been cultivated as a grain for
8,000 years. The yield of grain
amaranth is comparable to
rice or
maize. It was a
staple food of the
Aztecs, and was used as an integral part of
Aztec religious ceremonies. The
cultivation of amaranth was banned by the
conquistadores upon their conquest of the Aztec nation. Because the plant has continued to grow as a
weed since that time, its
genetic base has been largely maintained. Research on grain amaranth began in the
US in the 1970s. By the end of the 1970s, a few thousand acres were being cultivated. Much of the grain currently grown is sold in
health food shops.