This is a great product. The only reason I took off a star is for my personal preference, and since this is a personal review...it's my prerogative.

in short, I guess I didn't realize that 25 pounds of rice goes a lot quicker than 25lbs of quinoa. Still I am pleased and my friends are also pleased to receive quinoa. Unless you eat quinoa almost exclusively, I suggest going together with some friends to split this 4 or 5 ways between friends.

I was born in CUSCO - PERU, CAPITAL OF THE INKA EMPIRE. which it extended from the south of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru. Alto Peru- Bolivia, Chile and North of Argentina. This grain had being the main source of diet for hundreds of years amongst it's people. Being form Cusco I grew up eating it often. I was very glad that Quinua - Quinoa is available in USA and with a reachable and at a reasonable price. I live in the states for a long time now. In the past when I traveled to Peru - Cusco I used to bring some with me just as a nostalgic gesture, now and then I will prepare it just for myself. It was an ordeal to get it through USA Costumes but I had always manage to do it. I simply will tell the truth to the agents. That it was a very nutritious snack and eatable after cooking it... NOW I'm so glad that I can buy to my hearts content as much as I want to and CLEAN on top of it!! How much can I ask? The washing was a pain on the neck I not only brought with me the grain but part of the soil of my hometown with it... I really, really had to wash it very well before I could cook it to eat it!! Now it's a snap!! Rinse and it's ready.. Hallelluya!! I bought about 50 pounds of it before the market realizes that it's very popular and healthy... hehehe :D I'm so glad that Amazon carry it at that almost I will say affordable price?. Thanks.

Since being diagnosed with diabetes my days of eating rice were over. White rice especially made my blood sugar spike like crazy. I'd had a bag of this that I'd bought months before (different brand) and decided to give it a try. It didn't cook evenly and I just didn't like it. I'd read to cook like rice so I did. And like rice I didn't stir during cooking. That was the problem. You have to give this just a stir or two during the cooking so the grains (actually seeds) will cook evenly.
I've substituted it for rice in a rice pudding recipe where you start out with it raw and cook in milk. It worked great.
Once I knew I'd be eating a lot of this stuff I ordered this big bag. The seeds are a lot smaller than the other I'd bought before but you save so much money. I'm cooking at least two or three pounds a week.
I'll make big batches and keep it in the fridge. I'll just get some out and reheat.
I also put the cold, cooked Quinoa in my salads for the added protein and carbs.
I also made a cold salad from Quinoa, black beans, tomatoes, corn, basil, a little olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Fantastic...

PROS:
- As of 12/28/10 the price is $[...] for 25 lbs, which is $[...] per lb, and a very good deal compared to other products here on Amazon (specifically, Bob's Red Mill Quinoa)
- Item was shipped promptly and there were no holes in the bag.
- The quinoa was pre-washed: there was no bitterness to speak of.
- The quinoa was free of debris, particles, etc.
- Directions for cooking were spot on (I didn't add the salt, but that's just my preference)

CONS:
- This is not a knock on the product, but more of an observation on quinoa itself: The quinoa texture is something I am not used to, and I would compare it to that of tapioca. If you are someone who has trouble with certain textures of foods, I would recommend buying a smaller-sized bag of quinoa to make sure the texture is bothersome.

OVERALL:
- A fantastic product! As someone who is a very involved with weight training, this is going to fit my dietary needs perfectly.

At the local stores, a 12oz box would have gone for a couple dollars more than the price on Amazon. There was slight leakage in the bag when it arrived in my box, but maybe it was due to the shipping since I had four other items (glassware and other boxes). The quinoa cooked well and tasted great. I make extra batches to stir into my oatmeal in the morning.