How do you pronounce “quinoa”? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, this strange pseudo-cereal is traditionally pronounced, “KEEN-wah”, but can also be called “quin-OH-ah” (rhyming conveniently with Rocky Balboa). Can you believe it’s not a grain at all? In the Incan language, is it translated to “mother grain”, which is where the slight confusion comes in. What is quinoa? Quinoa isn’t actually a grain—it’s a tiny seed from a flowering plant in the amaranth family.