Description Cultivated by the Aztecs 8,000 years ago, amaranth is still popular in many cultures, and becoming more so in recent years. It can be popped like corn, cooked similar to rice or pasta, or ground to flour. Amaranth has a long history and has been in use for many centuries by many different cultures. Although amaranth was cultivated on a large scale in ancient Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru, nowadays it is only cultivated on a small scale there, along with India, China, Vietnam, and other tropical countries. Amaranth include numerous vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, amaranth is very similar to other grains (like wheat) as well as to other green leafy vegetables (like Swiss chard). Amaranth contains about four times as much calcium as wheat and twice as much iron and magnesium. Grain amaranth is easy to cook, is highly palatable, and can easily be included in snacks and dishes. Amaranth is grown and consumed as a leafy vegetable in many countries around the world. Amaranth is commonly boiled, steamed or included in soups and stir-frys. Cooked amaranth is 90% digestible.