I Love it when you speak foreign!

You’ve heard these words, maybe even seen them in recipes or on menus.

But what are they? How do you use them, and most importantly – are they any good?

Superfood or Superfad?

Couscous: (Basically a pasta made from semolina wheat flour and water.)

North African/Mediterranean/Middle eastern

Not necessarily classified as a superfood, bite for bite couscous does have a higher nutritional value than white rice, but a similar calorie value – so add it to your pantry as a healthier substitute for white rice or pasta…particularly if you choose wholewheat couscous.

Polenta: (Basically “pap” made from course yellow maize meal)

Italian/Mediterranean

Even though it’s not technically a superfood, polenta still has health benefits. It’s a good source of Beta-carotene and antioxidants, while also being pretty high in fibre and protein.

Quinoa (Seeds from a flowering plant, pronounced Keen-wa)

South and central American

A true superfood! Packed with fibre, protein and a whole host of other vitamins and minerals in higher quantities than most other grains, quinoa is an extremely healthy option for anyone who wants to get the most out of their meals.

Price comparison

Polenta is by far the most affordable of the three, at approximately R30.00 per 500g and available at most supermarkets.

Slightly more expensive, at R52.00 per 500g, Couscous is still a sensible pantry staple. Couscous is widely available in all South African supermarkets.

The fancy cousin, Quinoa checks out at R130 per 500g, and is also slightly trickier to find.

Cooking time comparison

Couscous beats out all the others. Want couscous? Measure out the dry granules, add boiling water and a pinch of salt, and…wait. That’s it. A couple of minutes later stir through some butter with a fork and voila – You have cooked Couscous.

Polenta needs to be boiled, much like mieliepap, depending on the texture you want.

Quinoa is slightly more fiddly – requiring you to rinse, measure and simmer for about 15 minutes. But hey – it IS a superfood after all!

Versatility comparison

All three are great bases for main or side dishes, soaking up any sauces or adding a bit of body to your plate. Couscous and Quinoa can even be added to salads, and polenta can be made firm, cooled, sliced and then grilled like you would grill a chicken breast or halloumi slice to top a salad.

All three can also form a base for things like veggie fritters, fishcakes and stuffings/crumb coats over many different dishes.

Polenta has a final magic trick up its sleeve – It makes a truly delicious cake.

Nigella Lawson’s delectable lemon polenta cake is one of the best things ever to come from any kitchen. Soft, crumbly, hearty, sweat, fragrant and GLUTEN FREE, it’s the cake you’ve been dreaming of!