Once considered sacred by the Incas, quinoa has become one of the symbols of sustainable food systems — resilient, nutritious, and adaptable to the world’s changing climate.
A seed rather than a grain, it grows where little else can, needs little water, and offers a balance of proteins that nourishes both people and soil.
At Refettorio Ambrosiano, Chef Mauro Uliassi brought this idea to life with a dish that felt both familiar and forward-looking. He arrived from Senigallia with boxes of fresh squid, potatoes, and tomatoes — and, in a quiet gesture of experimentation, he reached for quinoa.
He used it not as a side, but as texture: frying it until crisp and using it in Chicken wings with sweet and sour sauce, scallions, parsley, and crispy quinoa. The dish played with expectations, turning an ordinary ingredient into something bright, new, and full of energy.
As he cooked, Mauro said that the kitchen should always keep moving — testing, learning, evolving. His words echo the question we ask this month: Where are we going?
Because the future is not a destination, but a direction — shaped by the choices we make, the ingredients we value, and the ways we care for what we have.
Warm regards,
Food for Soul
