Buckwheat

Also known as saracen corn or beechwheat, buckwheat is not in fact a cereal, but rather a herb related to sorrel and rhubarb. It is a naturally pest resistant crop that does well on poor, unfertilized, rocky soils, and has a short growing time that allows farmers to harvest two crops per season. The greatest quantities of buckwheat are grown in the plant's native Russia, but it is also planted in significant amounts in Canada, Japan, China, Poland, South Africa, Australia and Brazil.

Fine Grain

Medium Grain

Course Grain

The harvested triangular seeds are sold whole or ground into buckwheat flour. It has an earthy, grassy taste with a slight cocoa flavour and may be sold toasted or untoasted, with the toasted versions having a darker colour and a nuttier taste. When sold whole, the seeds (or groats) may be used for soups, sausage filler and savoury side dishes. In Russia and Central Europe, they are used to make a hot porridge-like dish called kasha, which is eaten as a sweet or savoury dish.

Buckwheat flour is used to make crepes, muffins, Korean buckwheat noodles and soba noodles. In fact, three-quarters of Canada's buckwheat crop is exported to Japan for the production of noodles. In northern Italy, the flour is used to make polenta, whilst in Russia, it forms the basis of the blini - a small yeast-risen pancake that is eaten with caviar. The flour does not contain gluten, so it must be added to wheat flour for use in yeast breads.

Buckwheat contains high levels of protein, calcium, B vitamins, iron, phosphorous and magnesium, and is a rich source of the amino acid, lysine. Its lack of gluten makes it an ideal wheat substitute for those who are gluten-intolerant.