Characteristics

• Family: Polygonaceae
• Origin: Asia
• Season: Available all year round
• Colour: Brown
• Flavour: subtle nutty taste

Properties

• Excellent source of fibre
• Rich in vegetable protein
• Naturally gluten free
• Promotes cardiovascular health
• Antioxidant power

Nutritional and caloric values

How much is a "portion" of buckwheat worth?

Zoom in on the micronutrients in buckwheat

Among the nutrients contained in buckwheat in good quantities, we can mention the following:

• Copper
• Magnesium
• Manganese
• Phosphorus
• Iron
• Zinc
• Vitamin B1
• Vitamin B2
• Vitamin B3
• Vitamin B5
• Vitamin B6

The benefits of buckwheat

• Buckwheat is considered a prebiotic
• Effect on cholesterol levels
• Source of protein
• Protection against certain cancers
• Gallstones
• Weight control
• Diabetes management
• High in fibre and resistant starch
• Antioxidant power
• A naturally gluten-free cereal

How to choose the right buckwheat?

Commercially available buckwheat flour is more or less refined (i.e. it may or may not contain some of the husk), as well as flakes, semolina, pancake mixes or other products such as pasta.

As for kasha, it comes whole and in three different grindings, depending on what you want to use it for.

People with gluten allergies should make sure that the buckwheat products they buy do not contain wheat (for example, pasta is usually made from a mixture of the two flours).

Some manufacturers take extraordinary measures to ensure the purity of their grain, including dedicating part or all of their facilities to processing buckwheat to the exclusion of all other grains.

The best way to store whole buckwheat flour is in the fridge or even the freezer.

Kasha can be kept for several months in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

How to prepare buckwheat?

In the kitchen, buckwheat is used in all its forms.

First of all, its grain can be cooked in the same way as wheat, offering an original alternative to accompany vegetables, meat and fish.

Buckwheat is also very popular for its flour, which gives an incomparable flavour to recipes and is also used to make pasta, which is very popular in Asia.

Cooking buckwheat grains

Wash the grains under running water to remove any dirt or debris.

They are then cooked for about 20 minutes with one part grain to two parts water.

Some people recommend mixing the beans with an egg or egg white, making sure they are well coated, and then cooking the mixture in a pan over a high heat.

The egg white will partially seal the grains and prevent them from sticking together.

Stir constantly to prevent the mixture from burning.

Leave to cook for 2 to 4 minutes, or until the egg white is completely dry and the buckwheat grains have taken on a nice brown colour.

Add the liquid (water or broth), salt and pepper, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Check that the grains are very soft, if not, cook for another 3 or 4 minutes.

Add buckwheat flour to the menu

• You can replace part of the wheat flour with buckwheat flour to make homemade bread, biscuits, cakes, muffins, bagels, etc.
• Crepes: mix the flour with water and salt and leave to rest for a few hours. Cook in oil or butter.
• Acadian ploye: 500 ml buckwheat flour and 250 ml wheat flour. Add the salt, then the water and mix well. Leave to rest for a few minutes and cook on one side only in a very hot cast-iron pan (cooking time: about 15 seconds).
• In the old days in Brittany, the pancakes were cut into pieces and added to milk with beaten egg or to soups.
• Liège bouquets: these thick pancakes are made with equal parts of buckwheat and oat flour (you can also use wheat, spelt or kamut flour), eggs, a spoonful of olive oil, cognac (optional) and yeast. Moisten with beer to make a liquid dough, leave to rise and add the raisins. Serve with jam. Raisins can be substituted for cherries.
• In India, flat breads called chapatis are made with flour. Burgers are also made with boiled and mashed potatoes (three parts flour to one part potato). Add enough water to bind the mixture, salt and a tablespoon of clarified butter. Fry in the clarified butter or oil. For a variation, add pepper and spices to the batter.
• Blinis: These Slavic pancakes, made with a yeast dough of wheat and buckwheat flour, are usually served with fish eggs and sour cream (or yoghurt). Fish eggs can be replaced with smoked or marinated salmon.
• Stuff buckwheat pancakes with hummus and grilled vegetables (aubergines, peppers, courgettes, onions).
• Or fill them with a mixture of spinach leaves or cooked Swiss chard blended with cottage cheese (cottage cheese, ricotta, etc.). Serve with a mushroom sauce.
• Sprouted buckwheat: take the husked grains, soak them for just 20 minutes and leave them to sprout for 1 or 2 days. Add to salads

Buckwheat contraindications and allergies

Buckwheat is great for your health, provided it is cooked properly and combined with other nutritious foods.

It is naturally gluten-free, but traces of gluten may be present if it is handled near ingredients that contain gluten, especially in factories.

If you have coeliac condition, it is important to check food labels.

Compounds that are harmful and beneficial

Cereal grains contain phytochemicals. Phytic acid, one of the most abundant microconstituents in grains, is a good example.

This compound, which is more abundant in the outer layer of the grain (bran) and in the germ, has the ability to bind to certain minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc), reducing their absorption in the gut.

However, researchers agree that in a Western context, where diets are rich and varied and nutritional deficiencies are relatively rare, this effect has little impact on health.

Consumption of phytic acid (or phytate) would actually be beneficial because it acts as an antioxidant in the body. In fact, phytic acid, and more specifically its derivatives, may help protect against colon cancer and even cardiovascular disease.

These effects, observed in vitro and in animals, have not yet been confirmed in humans.

Risk of allergy

Allergic reactions to buckwheat and its flour are not common, but the reactions that do occur can be severe (asthma, hives, anaphylactic reactions).

The allergens found in buckwheat are heat stable, so they are not inactivated by cooking.

A cross-reaction may occur in people allergic to latex, who may show symptoms when consuming buckwheat, so special care should be taken.

Ecology and environment

Buckwheat is a very useful plant for the environment: its flowers attract many pollinating insects, its grain provides food for a wide range of fauna, and in organic farming it is used to control weeds and enrich the soil with phosphate, one of the three essential elements for plant health.

But that is not all: researchers have just discovered that it can significantly reduce populations of Verticillium dahliae, a bacterium present in the soil that causes Verticillium wilt, a disease that causes significant yield and quality losses in potato crops and against which current treatments are not very effective, as well as being a source of pollution.

In practice, it is grown in the fields where potatoes will be grown the following year.