What is Buckwheat?

What Is Buckwheat? An Incredible Plant with a Long History

Buckwheat has many uses. It looks good in a vase too!

One of the most common questions from our customers is, “What is buckwheat?”

Buckwheat, or Fagopyrum tataricum, is a hearty plant bearing three sided grain-like seeds. At maturity it stands at between 2 and 4 feet tall. It flowers prolifically for two to three weeks and eventually produces hundreds of small brown seeds with high nutritional value. Each seed, or groat, is protected by a hard outer shell or hull much like a sunflower seed.

Buckwheat is one of the world’s first domesticated crops.

Its use is thought to have originated in Southeast Asia around 5 or 6 thousand years ago. From there it spread to Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Buckwheat was documented in Finland by at least 5300 BCE. It was finally brought to North America in the 1600s.

Buckwheat was a much more popular crop before the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers in the 20th century.

New fertilizers dramatically increased the productivity and profitability of other popular staples like wheat and maize. This advancement resulted in substantially reduced buckwheat production. In America, over a million acres of buckwheat were harvested in 1918. By 1954 production decreased to just 150, 000 acres.
It used to be that most of the buckwheat produced was used for livestock and poultry. Today most buckwheat production is for human consumption. During the mid 1970s demand for new breakfast cereals and buckwheat noodles skyrocketed. This caused a surge in interest in buckwheat as food. Building on this recent popularity, the marketing of “ancient grains” as healthy alternatives to traditional modern foods has made buckwheat a resurgent crop.

Russia, China and Kazakhstan are currently the world’s largest producers of buckwheat.

America is the 4th largest producer and in recent years harvests about 75,000 acres annually. Most is grown in New York, Pennsylvania and North Dakota. The majority of U.S. produced buckwheat is for the Japanese market. In 2013 Japan accounted for 96% of buckwheat exported from America. They love their soba noodles!

Boekweit not wheat

Buckwheat’s name derives from the seed’s appearance, which resembles a seed of the beech tree. We can thank the Dutch for this insight: “boekweit,” means beech-wheat. Despite its name, buckwheat is not a type of wheat at all; it is actually part of the rhubarb family and is considered a fruit.

Buckwheat grows best in a cool moist climate, and can thrive in subpar earth.

As a result, farmers like it because it’s easy and economical to produce. It requires little to no fertilizer or pesticides and requires minimal maintenance. Buckwheat grows very quickly, maturing in just 30 days. While in most respects, it’s easy to grow, buckwheat is sensitive to unfavorable weather conditions. It is killed quickly by frost and higher temperatures can prevent seed formation. Buckwheat can be susceptible to to drought as well due to its relatively short root system.

Fresh buckwheat groats are of light brown color.

What is buckwheat used for?

Food (Soba Noodles, Kasha and Pancakes!)

Buckwheat has long been utilized as a source of nutrition. It contains a well balanced mix of starch, fat, protein and minerals and according to the USDA:In a 100 gram serving, buckwheat provides 343 calories and is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of protein, dietary fiber, four B vitamins and several dietary minerals, with content especially high (47 to 65% DV) in niacin, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus (table). Buckwheat is 72% carbohydrates, including 10% dietary fiber, 3% fat and 13% protein (table). Source: USDA

The largest consumer of buckwheat is Japan, importing 100,000 metric tons annually. Most of it is used to produce soba, a popular type of thin noodle that is either served chilled with a dipping sauce or as a hot soup. Most buckwheat food products sold in American markets are processed flours, pancake mixes or breakfast cereals. Eastern Europeans prefer their buckwheat boiled in water or milk, calling it kasha. Buckwheat groats are a light brown color when fresh and removed from their hulls. The groats must be used quickly because their fat content is high. They can quickly become rancid, so they’re generally sold within a few months of harvest. Within food markets, darker groats are considered to be less appealing and thus cheaper than fresher, lighter groats.In addition, it is totally free of gluten, so those suffering from celiac disease or other gluten allergies can enjoy their pancakes without worry! Buckwheat hulls in a pillow: don’t eat these!

Buckwheat is also utilized as:pillow fill. That’s what we use it for! In our opinion, stuffing a pillow with buckwheat hulls is one of man’s greatest inventions. A buckwheat hull pillow will perfectly support the space beneath your neck, keeping your spine straight and allowing your neck and back muscles to completely relax. Buckwheat hulls also allow air to move freely through your pillow, preventing uncomfortable heat build up. Don’t believe me? Check out these reviews from our customers!

A cover crop. Buckwheat is often planted as a cover crop to manage erosion, soil quality, water, weeds, pests, diseases, and biodiversity. It is frequently used to prepare soil for organic crops. It crowds out weeds and it can add up to 3,000 pounds of organic material per acre.support for bee colonies. A single acre of buckwheat can support a hive of bees producing up to 150 pounds of honey! It apparently produces a very unique flavor.

Livestock and poultry feed. Buckwheat is roughly comparable to oats in terms of nutritional value. It’s most suitable for cattle, but it’s fed to pigs as well. It’s often mixed with other feed types. This is because, interestingly, “light-skinned livestock (and humans) can develop a rash and possible complications if they are exposed to sunlight after eating a large amount of buckwheat.” Source: Missouri.edu

What is buckwheat? A very useful plant. Now that you know what buckwheat is, give it a try. Pick up some buckwheat flour and cook some pancakes for your family this Saturday! Try some funky buckwheat honey on your toast!

Baltistan Himalayan Buckwheat is the premium brand in Pakistan which is sourced from Organic Villages of Himalayas and Karakorum mountains in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan. Baltistan Himalayan Buckwheat is exclusively available on Himalayas Organic Foods.

 

Additional Sources:Allelopathy: New Concepts & Methodology edited by Y Fujii, Syuntaro Hiradate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckwheat

http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G4300

https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/buckwheat