What are Inca Peanuts?
Inca peanuts, also known as Sacha Inchi, are quickly gaining popularity in the United States as a new Super Food. Grown in the Peruvian Amazon, these nuts are an excellent source of nutrition, making them a good choice for people who are looking for healthy snack options. Including them as part of a nutritionally balanced may also help promote weight loss.
The Sacha Inchi plant grows in the Andes Mountains and has been harvested by natives in the area for more than 3,000 years. Each of the four to seven lobes growing on the plant produces a single nut, encased in a hard covering. When the covering is broken and the seed is harvested, it is generally either eaten raw or toasted.
Inca Peanuts: Nutrition
A single one ounce serving (all you really need in a day) contains:
- 7000 mg of Omega-3 and Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids, providing healthy fats to the body.
- 8 grams of protein, offering all the amino acids, making it a complete protein.
- Vitamin E
- 28 grams trytpophan
- 5 grams of fiber, providing 20% of the daily recommended amount.
What do Incan Peanuts Taste Like?
Though touted as a nut, the Incan peanut is actually a seed. Many compare the taste of one of these seeds to a dark roasted peanut with hits of a mild woody flavor.
Forms of Inca Peanuts
Beyond the actual nut itself, it is possible to get Sacha Inchi in:
- an oil form. The oil is made by compressing the seeds to express the oil from inside of them. Once compressed, the oil is collected, bottled, and shipped to suppliers.
- capsule form for those who want to make it easy to supplement. The capsulated form is made by crushing the seeds into a fine powder, and filling empty capsules with the resulting powder. Capsules may also include other ingredients to help keep them fresh.
