Close-up of Amaranth grain (Amaranthus cruentus) - stock photo

Amaranthus cruentus is a flowering plant species that yields the nutritious staple amaranth grain. Amaranth grain 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 an integral part of Aztec religious ceremonies. By the end of the 1970s, a few thousand acres were being cultivated in the United States. Much of the grain currently grown is sold in health food shops.