Buckwheat

A herbaceous plant (genus fagopyrum) with small, black, seedlike triangular fruits, and the seeds themselves, which are often ground into flour. Buckwheat is native to the shores of the Caspian Sea and those of southeast Asia. It is not related to true wheat, which belongs to the grass family. Buckwheat comes from the same family of plants as rhubarb and sorrel. The name buckwheat comes from the German word buchweinen, meaning “beech wheat,” which refers to the buckwheat seed’s resemblance to the beech nut. Its French name is blé sarrasin. Whole buckwheat grains (seeds) must be hulled before they can be cooked and eaten. Because of their unique triangular shape, special machinery is used to remove the hard outer shell without altering the triangular shape. Buckwheat is sold raw or roasted. Whole buckwheat grains can be cooked in the same way as rice; in Japan, noodles made from buckwheat are very popular; and the Brittany region of France is famous for buckwheat crepes.