Information about Grains: Buckwheat

About buckwheat, information about the grains, production, history and uses, nutritional value

Buckwheat

A staple food in the U.S.S.R. and Poland. Other important producers are France, Canada, and the U.S. It is often used as feed for poultry and other livestock, and is an ideal crop for a field in need of revitalization. It has a single taproot which seems to extract nutrients from the soil very effectively, and farmers have a saying that if the land is too poor for anything else, it will grow buckwheat. Buckwheat is rich in vitamin E and the B complex. Buckwheat is ground into flour, which is used mainly in pancakes, and the groats are simmered to make kasha, a popular eastern European dish. It can be mixed with wheat, soybean, or barley as a cereal for breakfast.