Contrary to its name, buckwheat (fa*gopyrum esculentum) is not related to wheat, nor is it a cereal grain at all — it is classified as a pseudocereal, and the “grains” we eat are actually seeds.
Buckwheat is an ancient food: It was first cultivated in Asia, and pollen dating as far back as the 2nd millennium BCE has been found in Europe. It arrived in North America with the colonists of the 1600s and remained popular in the United States until the end of the 19th century, when changes in farming practices led to its decline. In the last decade or so, buckwheat has received increased attention as eaters seek out ancient grains and seeds for their unique flavor, uses in gluten-free foods and contribution to biodiversity.
What to look for when buying buckwheat
You most commonly see buckwheat in the form of flour or groats, which can be purchased whole or cracked (the latter cooks much more quickly). You can also find buckwheat pastas and noodles, like soba.
Buckwheat seeds have a dark outer hull and inner groat that is triangular in shape. The hull is removed for processing and the remaining groat is roasted and often ground into flour.
Buckwheat leaves (aka “buckwheat lettuce”) are also edible, but beware: These greens contain fa*gopyrin, a toxin that causes photosensitivity and skin problems in humans and animals that eat too much.
Sustainability of buckwheat
Buckwheat is not a fussy plant and is valued for its adaptability to a variety of soil conditions. Well suited to organic production, it is disease-tolerant and fares best without herbicides and synthetic fertilizers.
Buckwheat is rarely affected by pests, and in fact will attract beneficial insects such as ladybugs. Bees go wild for buckwheat — molasses-like buckwheat honey is dark, rich and prized by chefs.
Farmers have traditionally employed buckwheat as a “green manure” crop, returning mature buckwheat plants back into the soil. Buckwheat is also a popular “smother crop” that grows quickly and broadly, denying weeds a chance to take hold of an area of cropland. Planted on fallow fields, it makes a powerful cover crop that prevents erosion by wind or rain. Buckwheat is quick maturing and is ready to harvest 10 to 12 weeks after sowing, making it an easy crop to grow in rotation after the primary harvest.
Geography
Buckwheat prefers cool temperatures, which allow it to be grown at the end of the season in warm climates and at higher elevations than grain crops typically tolerate.
Buckwheat is grown all over the world, and Russia and China make up the largest percentage of world production. Historically, most buckwheat in the U.S. was grown in the Northeast, but new varieties are being sown in areas of the Midwest and are also pushing the crop’s hardiness zone further south.
Eating buckwheat
Storing
Buckwheat groats are very perishable, particularly once they are ground. When buying buckwheat products, it is best to source them from outlets that have frequent turnover and then use them soon. You can expect buckwheat flour to taste fresh for around one month at room temperature, and groats, for two. Freezing will double the shelf life.
Cooking
Buckwheat’s international popularity is apparent in the wide range of dishes in which it is featured. In Eastern Europe, toasted buckwheat groats, or kasha, are used in both sweet and savory recipes. The tiny pancakes that accompany classic caviar service, called blini, are also traditionally made from buckwheat flour, as are Breton crepes. Buckwheat noodles, common in many East Asian countries, are made by grinding the whole groats into flour and mixing with a small amount of wheat flour and water; try them in dishes like Japanese zaru soba or Korean bibim guksu.
Buckwheat can also be used to flavor teas or as the base for porridges, and is a traditional element in Pennsylvania scrapple.
Nutrition and health
Because it is a seed, buckwheat is naturally gluten free. A 100-gram serving of the whole groats provides around half the recommended daily amount of magnesium, manganese, copper and the B-vitamins thiamin and biotin, and is also rich in phosphorus, zinc, selenium and niacin (Vitamin B3). Additionally, buckwheat is a good source of fiber, iron and Vitamin B6.
Buckwheat groats contain around 11 grams of protein for every 100 gram serving, and is considered a “complete” protein, meaning it contains all nine “essential” amino acids. Research suggests buckwheat can also help manage cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
