Its name is misleading. Buckwheat contains no wheat. In fact, it’s a seed related to sorrel and rhubarb. It’s gluten free, filling, energizing and relatively high in protein.
I have eaten buckwheat my whole life because I come from the Dolomite Mountains of Italy where buckwheat is considered a traditional food. It was brought to us via the steppes of Mongolia through Turkish invasions of Greece and Eastern Europe.
We grew up making bread, polenta, and cake with it. Its versatile in cooking, grows extremely well, resists pests, and is relatively easy to thresh.
One cup of roasted buckwheat contains all of the essential amino acids as well as 6 grams of protein, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, and a whopping 86 grams of magnesium. Magnesium is involved in over 300 processes in the body, including blood glucose balance.
Buckwheat contains a specific bioflavinoid, rutin, that has been found to lower overall cholesterol and promote HDL, the beneficial form of cholesterol. The Yi people in Southwest China eat 1 cup of buckwheat daily and have some of the lowest overall serum cholesterol of any population world-wide.
This nutty grain has a rich flavor that’s due both to its amino acid content and to its high levels of niacin, also known as vitamin B3. Niacin is crucial to helping our bodies use our food as energy instead of storing it as fat.
Buckwheat is delicious in both sweet and savory dishes and provides a feeling of being full and energized at the same time.
Hungry for more? Click this link to get my favorite buckwheat recipes.
