Quinoa naturally has a coating around it that produces a bitter taste. Most quinoa that we purchase in stores today has this coating removed. Some people think you still need to wash your quinoa before cooking it, to remove the bitter flavor and to aid in digestion. I have found that most varieties of quinoa sold today does not require the extra rinsing. I personally, do not rinse my quinoa before cooking it and I have never had any issues with bitterness or digestion troubles. If you prefer to give it a rinse, feel free to do so. It doesn't take up much extra time or effort to do this.