Cooking with Buckwheat 101

Introduction

The high fiber (pseudo) grain of the month in this series on whole grains is buckwheat. 

The Buckwheat Groat

Buckwheat is the triangular sided seed of a flowering plant.

The light tan buckwheat kernel is known as a groat and it is protected by a black outer hull.

Despite its name, buckwheat is not in the wheat family and it is gluten-free.

Rather, buckwheat belongs to the same plant family as rhubarb and sorrel.

Nutritional Benefits

Buckwheat is often considered a super food.

Buckwheat is higher in the amino acid lysine than grains and it is considered a complete protein.

Buckwheat is high in linoleic acid, aka omega-6, and also contains some omega-3.

Because buckwheat is gluten-free it is ideal for people with celiac disease.

Buckwheat is high in B vitamins and minerals particularly magnesium, manganese, copper, phosphorus and zinc.

Buckwheat contains significant amounts of iron, selenium and potassium.

Buckwheat is great for diabetics because of its low glycemic index and it appeals to dieters because it is lower in calories per serving size than many whole grains.

The rutin and quercetin in buckwheat help with high blood pressure, inflammation and heart disease.

Allergies

People who have latex allergies may also be allergic to buckwheat.

Buckwheat leaves and microgreens are known to contain an allergen, fagopyrin, which can cause severe skin reactions if consumed in too high amounts (approximately more than half a cup a day).

Fagopyrin toxicity has been studied extensively on animals and that research concludes buckwheat groats are typically not a concern because their levels are fagopyrin are significantly lower than that of the leaves and hull.

Origins of Buckwheat

Buckwheat is believed to have originated in China about 6,000 years ago and to have spread from there to the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Eastern Europe, North Africa and finally the Americas.

Buckwheat was commonly considered a poor man’s food because it could be grown on less fertile soil than grains such as wheat.

Today buckwheat is mostly used in its toasted form (kasha) in Eastern European countries and for the production of Soba noodles in Japan and neighboring Asian countries.

Thanks to its gluten-free properties, buckwheat has become more popular in the West in recent years.

Below is a roundup of the many culinary uses of buckwheat with recipe guidelines.

Soaked Raw Buckwheat Groats

An overnight soaking of buckwheat groats in water (an optional acid such as lemon juice) activates the growth enzymes in the buckwheat and helps reduce phytic acid and trypsin inhibitors, both antinutrients.

The overnight soaking water is discarded and the soaked raw buckwheat can now be consumed in a digestible form.

• Soak raw buckwheat overnight in at least three times its volume of water.
• Add optional acid such as apple cider vinegar or lemon juice at rate of a teaspoon per cup of buckwheat groats.
• In the morning, rinse multiple times to remove excess sliminess typical of the buckwheat starch reaction with water.

After rinsing, it can be consumed whole – in which case it will be still be quite chewy.

Alternatively, it can also be blended into a smoothie.

Plant milks, spices and fruit can be added to flavor it to your liking.

Two easy raw buckwheat breakfast recipes can be found here and here.

Roasting Raw Buckwheat Groats

Roasted buckwheat groats are also known as kasha and are a common way to consume buckwheat in Eastern European countries.

You may have heard of kasha varnishkes, a mushroom, noodle and kasha dish or of potato kasha knishes.

While you can buy already toasted kasha, you can also roast the raw buckwheat grouts yourself either on the stovetop or in the oven.

Many people report that store bought kasha from Eastern Europe typically cooks differently than home roasted kasha.

The store bought product tends to have a less mushy consistency when cooked.

In my experience, the issue seems to be that raw buckwheat often includes broken buckwheat pieces.

Those pieces will cook faster and release extra starch which will tend to create a mushy texture.

Placing the kasha in boiling water instead of cold water can help with keeping the kasha groats separate.

Roasting Raw Buckwheat Groats over a Stovetop

• Heat a heavy bottomed pot or pan to medium hot.
• Pour buckwheat groats on the pan – no more than can comfortably fit in one layer with extra space to stir.
• Stir frequently for about 5 minutes until the buckwheat gives off a toasted aroma and has browned.

Roasting Raw Buckwheat Groats in Oven

• Turn oven to 325° Fahrenheit.
• Once oven is preheated, place a single layer of raw buckwheat groats in a sheet pan and set timer to 15 minutes.
• Take sheet pan out, stir buckwheat and place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven.
• Roasted buckwheat, kasha, can be used immediately in any recipe that calls for it.

If you intend to store the kasha for later use, first let it cool completely.

Boiling Raw Buckwheat Groats

• Use a 2 to 1 ratio of water to raw buckwheat.
• Bring to a boil before adding buckwheat groats.
• Add groats and allow to simmer between 20 to 30 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let buckwheat continue to absorb water for another 10 minutes.
• Fluff prior to serving.

Raw buckwheat can be soaked overnight as described above prior to boiling.

In that case, cooking time is reduced by about half.

Boiling Roasted Buckwheat Groats (Kasha)

• Use a 2 to 1 ratio of salted water to kasha
• Bring water to a boil before adding kasha.
• Simmer for 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and keep covered for another 10 minutes before fluffing.

Puffed Buckwheat

Like many grains and pseudograins, buckwheat can be puffed.

The groat will not expand much but it will be crunchy and have a deep roasted flavor.

No oil is needed.

Puffed buckwheat is different than roasted buckwheat due to the higher initial heat that is used and the darker final color.

• Heat to medium high heat a heavy bottom, high lidded pot.
• No need to cover pot.
• Pot is ready to use when a drop of water sizzles and immediately evaporates in the bottom of the pot.
• Add one layer deep of raw buckwheat to the bottom.
• Shake pot frequently.
• Buckwheat should be puffed within 2 minutes.
• Transfer to a cool plate immediately to prevent burning.

Puffed buckwheat can be enjoyed with a plant milk like any other cereal or as a crunchy topping for a dessert or salad.

Sprouted Buckwheat

The terms sprouts and microgreens are sometimes used interchangeably.

Here, buckwheat sprouts refer to the buckwheat seed which is just starting to show evidence of a small tail – no greater than the length of the buckwheat seed itself.

On the other hand, buckwheat microgreens already have developed their first leaves and they are called microgreens for the first couple of weeks of growth (under 4 inches in height).

Buckwheat Sprouts

Not all hulled buckwheat groats will sprout easily.

This is because the dehulling process may have damaged the groats, they may be too old or they may be irradiated.

The process of sprouting buckwheat starts with soaking the hulled groats in water.

Because the starches in buckwheat interact more quickly with water than other grains and seeds, the soaking process is typically shorter and rinsing needs to be more thoroughly than with other seeds/grains.

• Let moist groats rest at a 45 degree angle in a mason jar.
• Soak 1 part buckwheat groats to 2 parts water by volume for about an hour.
• Rinse buckwheat thoroughly until the groats no longer have a slimy feel.
• Rinse again every 8 hours.
• Sprouts should appear within 24 to 48 hours depending on ambient temperature.

Sprouts should be rinsed, patted dry and can be used immediately or stored in the refrigerator over a towel (to absorb moisture).

A thorough post on sprouting and dehydrating buckwheat sprouts can be found here.

Buckwheat sprouts can be enjoyed as a breakfast cereal, blended into smoothies or dehydrated for later use.

Buckwheat Microgreens

If you want to grow your buckwheat to the microgreen stage, please first take note of possible issues if consumed in excess, as discussed in this section.

It is easier to grow buckwheat microgreens by starting with unhulled buckwheat and using a growing medium.

• You will want to start out by soaking the unhulled buckwheat for half a day.
• Rinse thoroughly and spread over well drained growing medium.
• Mist twice daily and keep covered and out of sunlight for first 3 days.
• Harvest when greens are between 2 to 4 inches.

A good resource guide on growing buckwheat microgreens can be found here.

Malted Buckwheat

Because of the growing interest in gluten-free beers to accommodate individuals with gluten sensitivities, buckwheat beer and buckwheat malts have gained in popularity.

• Buckwheat malt is made by sprouting buckwheat, dehydrating it a low heat (104° F) for about 18 hours.
• It is then roasted at 140 F or more for several hours, depending on the darkness of the malt you want to achieve.

I have yet to successfully make buckwheat malt but this post and this site may be useful to you if you want to give this process a try.

Eventually, I would love to make malted buckwheat syrup.

If you have been able to make this, I would love to hear about your experience in the comment section.

Buckwheat Rejuvelac

Buckwheat can be used to make rejuvelac, a fizzy probiotic beverage popularized by the raw food pioneer Ann Wigmore.

• Follow instructions for making buckwheat sprouts in above section.
• Once buckwheat tail has appeared, soak buckwheat sprouts in filtered water ( ratio of 1 part buckwheat to 2 parts water by volume) for 24 hours until water becomes cloudy and slightly fizzy.
• Pour rejuvelac into separate container, add more filtered water to the buckwheat sprouts and let ferment for another 24 hours to get a second batch of rejuvelac.

Spent buckwheat grains can be used in spent grain recipes as discussed in this post or composted.

Buckwheat Tea

Roasted buckwheat groats (hulled or unhulled), dried buckwheat leaves and flowers can be seeped in hot water to make a tea.

This type of tea is popular in several Asian countries.

Typically, the buckwheat groats will be roasted to a similar level as puffed buckwheat.

• Steep a tablespoon of puffed buckwheat in hot boiled water for about 5 minutes.
• Strain and reuse a couple more times if desired.

The tea will provide many of the healthful benefits of the buckwheat plant.

Buckwheat Flour

Hulled buckwheat groats can also be ground into buckwheat flour.

Typically, buckwheat flour is considered a whole (pseudo) grain flour because the nutritious germ remains as does the outer coating of the buckwheat groat.

The bitter black hull surrounding the buckwheat groat is normally not ground with the flour but sometimes some black specks can be found, depending on how the flour was prepared.

Buckwheat flour is very popular in gluten free mixes.

Buckwheat flour has been used in many parts of the world to make various types of traditional pancakes (i.e. blinies) and noodles (i.e. Soba noodles) ranging in size and thickness.

Because the hulled buckwheat groat is rather soft, buckwheat flour can easily be made at home in a high speed blender, a food processor, a coffee/spice grinder as well as in any grain mill (for an in depth discussion on milling options please see this post).

If you are growing your own buckwheat, using a grain mill with a coarse setting will allow you to crack open the hull.

Then it will be a matter of sifting out the hulls and milling at a finer setting to get to your desired flour consistency.

Where to Buy Buckwheat

You may be able to buy smaller quantities of buckwheat at your local grocery store or health food store.

This post about whole grains provides a free PDF which contains 16 different online sources of buckwheat.

Note that Azure Standard which is included in the PDF vendor list sells buckwheat groat pieces at a substantially lower price than full buckwheat groats.

Definitely worth considering if you are buying in bulk and expect to use up buckwheat in the shorter term.

Storing Buckwheat

As long as the buckwheat remains in its hull, it has a long shelf life of many years equal to that of other seeds.

Once the outer hull has been removed, the shell life of buckwheat is about the same as brown rice – about 6 months to a year.

Keeping the buckwheat in airtight containers or in the refrigerator or freezer will optimize its freshness.

This post on ways to store whole grains provides further guidance on storage options.

Conclusion

Buckwheat is a versatile (pseudo) grain with many health benefits.

Consider adding buckwheat to your weekly grain rotation to provide extra variety and deliciousness.

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