What is buckwheat made from? How to make buckwheat, beneficial properties of buckwheat

Buckwheat (sowing, edible) is a cereal crop from the family Buckwheat. The name of the genus Buckwheat in Latin is Fagopyrum. The word “grechya” (“buckwheat”, “buckwheat”), according to one of the generally accepted versions, is an abbreviation for the phrase “ greek cereal", since presumably the culture migrated to the Slavs thanks to Greek merchants. Buckwheat is a cereal and non-cereal plant (or pseudocereal). Due to its prevalence in different parts of the world and countries, and its significance in the history of cooking, buckwheat (buckwheat fruits, buckwheat grains) has received the status of a truly legendary product.

Common buckwheat is an annual herb, from 30 to 80 cm tall. The stem of the plant is ribbed, pubescent, branched, and colored in greenish-reddish tones. The leaves are also mixed with red, arrow-shaped and triangular in shape; the lower ones are long-petioled, and the upper ones are sessile. The flowers are white, pink or red, collected in corymbose inflorescences. The fruit is a triangular nut. Buckwheat blooms depending on the time of sowing, most often in July.

Composition and calorie content

Buckwheat contains up to 20% protein (with amino acids such as lysine and tryptophan), up to 80% starch, sugar - 0.3-0.5%, organic acids (malic, citric, oxalic, maleic), vitamins B1 ( thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), P (rutin), PP (nicotinic acid), anthocyanins, salts of iron, calcium, phosphorus and trace elements - copper, zinc, boron, iodine, nickel, cobalt. The aerial part of the plant during the flowering period contains a flavone glycoside (vitamin) - rutin (1.9-2.5%).

Use in medicine

For medicinal purposes, the seeds and grass of buckwheat (flowers along with apical leaves) are used. The grass (as a pharmaceutical raw material) is cut at the stage of buckwheat flowering, when the level of the substance rutin in the plant reaches its maximum amount. The flowers are collected for the production of herbal preparations. The raw materials are not available in pharmacies.

Buckwheat is a product whose dietary value is difficult to overestimate. Eating buckwheat dishes is especially beneficial for diseases of the stomach and intestines, anemia, nervous system disorders, and kidney diseases. Rutin is produced from the grass buckwheat, which is used for the prevention and treatment of hypo- and vitamin P deficiency; in the treatment of diseases that are accompanied by impaired vascular permeability (hemorrhagic diathesis, capillary toxicosis, retinal hemorrhages, hypertension and radiation sickness, glomerulonephritis, rheumatism, septic endocarditis). A number of drugs are produced based on rutin: urutin, rutamin, ascorutin etc. In folk medicine, a flower infusion of buckwheat is drunk when coughing. Carefully mashed and sifted buckwheat leaves are used as a natural powder for diaper rash in children.

Application in official medicine

For the purpose of prevention (and in the treatment of hypo- and avitaminosis of vitamin P), Rutinum is prescribed. It is used 2 tablets 2 to 3 times a day. Course duration is 5-6 weeks.

Use in folk medicine

• How expectorant use an infusion of buckwheat flowers (40 g of flower raw material per liter of boiling water): drink 200 ml up to 5 times a day.
• At dry cough prepare a mixture of buckwheat flowers (50 g), wild mallow (60 g), wild poppy, common white and lungwort herb (10 g each). Pour a liter of boiling water over the herbs and let it brew overnight. Take a glass up to 5 times a day.
• For bronchitis, which is accompanied by a dry, debilitating cough, an infusion is useful: flowers of buckwheat (40 g), common white, elderberry, black elderberry, cordate linden (20 g each), wild poppy flowers, scepter mullein, wild mallow and lungwort herb (30 each d) steam in a liter of boiling water, leave overnight, then filter and drink 50 ml of the drug every hour.
• For arthritis, polyarthritis, various sclerotic lesions, and convulsive conditions, take an infusion: 4-6 tablespoons of dried buckwheat leaves, herbs and flowers are steamed in a liter of boiling water. Drink chilled, up to 4 glasses per day.
• At neurasthenia, low blood pressure with a feeling of weakness, drink the infusion described above, 100 ml up to 4 times a day.
• Dry raw materials of buckwheat herb (crushed tops or leaves and flowers) are included in medicinal infusions of herbal mixtures and taken for sore throat, laryngitis, neuritis, pain due to radiculitis, hepatitis, obesity.

• Fresh, washed buckwheat leaves are applied as compresses to untreated purulent wounds and abscesses.
• From a concentrated infusion (2 tablespoons of buckwheat herb per 200 ml of boiling water) lotions and compresses are made for abscesses, panaritiums, phlegmons, and ulcers. Wipe the scalp with the infusion for baldness, treat burns with sterile cotton wool, and prepare an infusion for washing the eyes (for cataracts).

Use in oriental medicine

In scientific research

Due to its prevalence, beneficial properties and specific cultivation, buckwheat has become an object of study in both agronomic and medical research.

In the “Collection of Economic Rules” (1670) F. Udolov said the following about buckwheat: “it will not be unprofitable if you cancel other bread and sow buckwheat instead.”

In the “Manual on Speculative and Production Agriculture” (1786), the first Russian manual on agronomy, the scientist M.G. Livanov wrote about buckwheat: “this grain is very useful and profitable for various house-building needs. It spreads so much that no grain of grain can compare with it.”

The founder of scientific agronomy in Russia I.M. Komov, in his treatise “On Agriculture” (1788), emphasized that “they sow more buckwheat, use it better, and know it in Russia than throughout Europe. For there they only feed poultry and cattle with it, but here we prepare the most nutritious food for humans from it.” Komov also mentioned buckwheat’s ability to “choke out” wild weeds, displacing them from the land.

A century later, the famous Russian agronomist A.N. Engelhardt praised buckwheat in his work Letters from a Countryside, where he said that “buckwheat porridge never gets boring, and is eaten willingly every day.”

In the 20th century, historian and researcher of culinary traditions V. Pokhlebkin devoted an extensive article to the “buckwheat” issue. (“The hard fate of Russian buckwheat”).

The medicinal properties of buckwheat, its potential as part of medical diets and standard diets for weight loss, the influence of bioactive substances on health were studied at one time by O. Sitar, M. Breshtik, M. Zivtsak; HA. Jimenez-Bastida, H. Zelinsky. ,

For weight loss

Buckwheat porridge is an integral component of both therapeutic diets according to medical advice (diet tables) and the classic mono-diet for weight loss (with or without the addition of kefir).

Use in cooking

• From buckwheat you can prepare both crumbly porridge and “smear porridge”. Soups and buckwheat hominy are cooked with buckwheat. Pancakes and pancakes are baked from buckwheat flour, and flour is used as a base for sauces. Buckwheat flour is also used in the confectionery industry: for the production of chocolate and chocolate candies. Granola and homemade bread are prepared from whole buckwheat.
• The legendary V. Pokhlebkin in “Secrets of Good Kitchen” wrote the following about buckwheat porridge: “buckwheat porridge is the simplest in terms of cooking, having a good natural protective coating for each grain and not releasing mucus (starch) during cooking.” It is difficult to spoil buckwheat porridge, and yet it is often prepared ineptly and tastelessly.” The secrets of properly prepared buckwheat porridge, according to Pokhlebkin, are as follows: a) cereals and water for cooking should be taken at a ratio of 1:2; b) the porridge should be cooked in a metal pan or cauldron with a thickened convex bottom, the lid should fit tightly; c) cook over high heat until the water boils, then maintain a moderate boil; at the final stage of cooking, you need to increase the heat as much as possible so that the water completely boils away and evaporates not only from the surface of the porridge, but also from the bottom of the saucepan or kettle. It is not recommended to stir the porridge or open the lid slightly. The peculiarity of boiled buckwheat is that the porridge is cooked rather with the help of steam. Delicious crumbly porridge is obtained if steam is not lost and intervention in the cooking process is kept to a minimum.
• Buckwheat noodles (made from buckwheat flour) were prepared centuries ago in Tibet and northern China, since wheat flour was not common in these regions. Later, the recipe for noodles made from buckwheat flour migrated to Japanese and Korean cuisines. In Japan, buckwheat noodles are called soba. In some areas of Italy, a pasta is prepared from buckwheat flour, which is called “pasta di grano saraceno”.

• Hindus in northern India eat buckwheat flour during fasting days, since grains (such as rice or wheat) are prohibited during fasting. Pancakes made from buckwheat flour are called “kuttu ki puri” in India, and potato slices rolled in buckwheat flour and fried in oil are called “kuttu pakoras”.
• Pork sausage (or sausage) wrapped in a buckwheat pancake is a type of fast food, street food in some regions of France.
• “Stip” is a popular dish in certain provinces of Holland, which is served as follows: a hole is made in a portion of buckwheat porridge, into which fried bacon is placed, seasoned with gravy.
• In vegetarian cuisine, buckwheat grains are sprouted and then eaten raw or after heat treatment.
• Buckwheat groats, based on the degree of grinding, are divided into types: done(crushed, split buckwheat grains obtained by hulling), Smolensk buckwheat(maximum crushed and polished buckwheat grains) and kernel(whole, shelled buckwheat grains). Another variety is " Veligorka» – very small whole grains, the grains of which are rolled to a round shape. The most useful is the kernel, in which the entire complex of microelements and vitamins is preserved.

Homemade whole grain buckwheat bread (without flour)

Ingredients: 3 cups of whole buckwheat grains (kernels), a teaspoon of salt, 1 cup of water, vegetable oil for greasing the mold, sesame or poppy seeds for sprinkling. Pour water over buckwheat and leave overnight. In the morning, drain the water and let the cereal drain. Combine buckwheat with salt, a cup of water and puree in a blender until smooth (grind the ingredients for at least 2-3 minutes). Pour the “dough” into a clean glass container, cover with a towel and leave to ferment in a warm place for 24 hours. The next day, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Grease the baking dish with vegetable oil, and generously sprinkle the bottom and sides of the pan with sesame or poppy seeds. Pour the “dough” into the mold and bake at 180 degrees for an hour. Cut the finished bread when completely cooled. Green buckwheat (not heat-treated) is also perfect for making this buckwheat bread. If desired, you can add chopped olives, pumpkin seeds, and raisins to the dough.

Combination of buckwheat with other products

In dishes, buckwheat goes well with herbs and vegetables with moderate or reduced starch content. It is better to avoid adding cheese, nuts or seeds to buckwheat products. Also, nutritionists strongly do not recommend mixing buckwheat with animal proteins, sweet fruits and sugar. If desired, you can sweeten the porridge with honey.

Beverages

Buckwheat is a plant that is an alternative to barley in brewing. Buckwheat beer is therefore a gluten-free beer, in contrast to regular “cereal” beer. Buckwheat does not contain gluten and is classified as a pseudocereal. Buckwheat beer was invented not so long ago, but we can say that it is a product with a future on the world market.

Buckwheat whiskey is an alcoholic drink produced in Brittany (France) and the USA. The production is based on buckwheat wort.

Buckwheat shochu is a strong alcoholic drink that has been produced in Japan since the 16th century. Its taste is milder compared to traditional barley-based shochu.

Buckwheat is used as a raw material not only in the alcohol industry: in Korea and Japan, traditional buckwheat tea (“memil cha” and “soba cha”) is prepared from roasted buckwheat groats.

Use in cosmetology

Buckwheat flour is used as a natural ingredient in homemade cosmetics. In masks, peelings and scrubs, buckwheat perfectly demonstrates its cleansing, softening and nourishing properties.

Scrub with buckwheat flour for dry skin

Buckwheat contains fluorescent phototoxic fagopyrins. Of course, buckwheat products are safe when consumed in moderation. But those who follow a diet based on buckwheat sprouts may develop fagopyrism (with excessive consumption of buckwheat sprouts, flowers or extracts rich in fagopyrin). Symptoms of phagopyrism include inflammation of the skin in areas exposed to direct sunlight, sensitivity to cold, and tingling or numbness in the hands. ,

We have collected the most important points about the benefits and possible harms of boiled buckwheat in this illustration and will be very grateful if you share the picture on social networks with a link to our page:

• Among the numerous folk holidays revered by the Eastern Slavs was the day of Akulina Grechishnitsa (June 13). Its celebration was timed to coincide with the sowing of buckwheat (sown a week before or after the specified day). On Akulina Buckwheat, it was customary to cook porridge from buckwheat from last year's harvest and treat the crippled, the poor and wanderers. After the meal, the grateful guests uttered a traditional saying, turning to the hosts: “God bless you Orthodox Christians with countless amounts of Greek!”
• In central Russia, buckwheat porridge was also prepared on Vasily’s Day (January 14). According to tradition, buckwheat was on the festive table for a fruitful new year. In addition, after sowing the winter crops, the sowers returning from the field had to be fed buckwheat porridge. The settlers were also treated to food in the villages at their first meeting.
• Folklore is replete with proverbs and sayings that vividly characterize the meaning of buckwheat in food culture: “Woe is ours, buckwheat porridge: you won’t be able to eat, you don’t want to fall behind,” “Buckwheat porridge praises itself,” “Buckwheat porridge is our mother, and rye bread is our mother.” dear father”, “Don’t be afraid of the frost that crackles in the yard when buckwheat porridge is in the oven.”

• In Rus', one of the most poetic legends about buckwheat was the legend about Krupenichka, a princess who was captured during the Tatar invasion and returned to her native land in the form of a buckwheat grain.
• During the era of great geographical discoveries and active trade relations in France, Belgium, Spain and Portugal, buckwheat was called “Arab grain”, in Italy and Greece - “Turkish”, and in Germany - “pagan” grain.
• In Nepal, buckwheat grains are dried and chewed like sunflower seeds.
• In East Asia, salads are prepared from young buckwheat leaves (rich in protein and vitamin P).
• In terms of protein content, buckwheat (12.6%) is second only to peas (23%). It should be emphasized that buckwheat protein is significantly more complete and easier to digest compared to the protein found in cereals.
• When cooking, the volume of buckwheat increases 5-6 times.
• In North America, early European settlers and subsequently their descendants used buckwheat as a weed control crop for several centuries. The rapid growth of buckwheat prevented the spread of weeds in cultivated areas: the thick leaf cover of buckwheat shaded the soil so much that the weeds simply did not have enough sunlight. This fact, in particular, was devoted to the pages of correspondence between Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, who at one time discussed agricultural issues that arose directly in their personal domains.
• The religious festival in India, Navaratri (the holiday of “nine nights”) is a time when Hindus are allowed to eat dishes made exclusively from buckwheat or buckwheat flour.

Selection and storage

High-quality buckwheat is fresh, without the smell of mold or dampness. Buckwheat should be stored in a tightly closed jar in a cool place. If the conditions are violated or the storage period is exceeded, the taste of the cereal deteriorates. Not only does the taste deteriorate, but a musty and slightly rancid smell appears.

Story

The homeland of buckwheat is considered to be the mountainous areas of India and Nepal, where it is believed that the plant was cultivated approximately 4,000 years ago. Here, buckwheat grew in areas flooded in the summer, abundantly flavored with sunlight, moisture and heat, which probably could not but affect the nature of its accelerated physiological development. From India, buckwheat spread to China, Korea and Japan. In China, the first written sources mentioning the plant date back to the 5th century AD. Through routes from Central Asia and Tibet, buckwheat spreads to the Middle East and Europe, and then to North America. Among European peoples, the first written mention of buckwheat was recorded in the 16th century.

The first documentary information about the cultivation of buckwheat in Russia dates back to the beginning of the 15th century. The French traveler Gilbert Lannoy visited in 1414 and 1421. a number of Russian cities and in their reports mention acquaintance with Russian cuisine and treating them to buckwheat porridge. Documents from the 15th and 16th centuries. testify to the wide distribution of this cereal crop in Russia (inventories of the Russian peasant household, historical materials, monastery charters with instructions on the cultivation of buckwheat). In the 16th century, there was a separate shopping arcade in Pskov, where they sold exclusively buckwheat. Buckwheat grain was also supplied for sale in European countries. Buckwheat in the trade books of seaports is not inferior in quantitative indicators to exported wheat. Smolensk buckwheat, brought from Russia, was highly appreciated at the London International Exhibition and won prestigious awards.

According to most scientists, the theory about the introduction of buckwheat into Russia during the Mongol-Tatar invasions in the 13th century is considered unfounded. The conquering tribes did not grow grain or other crops, which was predetermined by their nomadic traditions. Italian diplomat Carpini Giovanni da Plano, who traveled through Mongolia in 1245-47. emphasized that the Mongols have neither bread nor its substitute crop. Two centuries later, the Venetian diplomat Contarini Ambrogio noted that the Mongols did not eat bread, subsisting on meat and milk. A vessel with buckwheat seeds found in 1939 in a Sarmatian burial (in the Rostov region) also refutes the version of the “Mongol trace”, since the product dates back to the 2nd century. AD Subsequent similar finds dating from the 10th and 12th centuries indicate that buckwheat was grown on Russian soil long before the Mongol-Tatar conquests.

Varieties

The main task of breeders is to obtain varieties whose fruits would ripen more or less evenly and would be held more firmly on the plant. This is due to the peculiarities of the growing season of buckwheat: it is characterized by non-simultaneous ripening of fruits. Branching, formation of buds and flowering on each specific plant continue, while the fruits formed in place of the first flowers are already ripe and begin to gradually crumble.

The most common varieties of buckwheat:

• Buckwheat “Green-flowered” (“Malikovskaya”). During the selection process, a thickened and strong peduncle was obtained - a property that allows ripened buckwheat fruits not to fall off for a long time.
• Buckwheat "Bashkir Krasnostebelnaya". The variety was bred by breeders based on several buckwheat hybrids. The variety was created as a source of raw materials for the production of the medical drug “Rutin”.

Features of cultivation

Buckwheat is better adapted to infertile soils than other crops. It grows well on soils whose acidity is pH = 5-7. The most favorable soils for growing buckwheat are loamy and sandy loam soils.

Features of buckwheat cultivation include: conditional and floating sowing dates; short growing season (from 75 to 80 days), which guarantees its ripening as a so-called insurance crop.

Buckwheat is moisture-loving. The plant absorbs twice as much water as wheat and three times more than millet. Buckwheat productivity indicators directly depend on atmospheric precipitation, which occurs at the stages of the beginning of plant growth, the period of flowering and ovary formation: at this time the need for watering in buckwheat is highest. The soil for sowing buckwheat must be well drained. After sowing, the soil is rolled and leveled. Exceeding the level of applied nitrogen fertilizers can reduce yields. Yield indicators directly depend on the number of pollinating bees.

Pest control should be preventive (treating seeds with fungicides, etc.): buckwheat seedlings can be affected by a fungus, the roots can be eaten by the cockchafer, and the leaves and stems can be eaten by the fall armyworm caterpillar.

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Buckwheat has long been considered a national Russian product. This tasty, easy-to-prepare and very healthy cereal has long become a common food in Russia, but remains exotic in many countries in Europe and America. originally from India, where it began to be grown 5 thousand years ago. Krupa has come a long way from the tropical climate to the harsh Russian lands. In Russia, buckwheat got its name from the Greek monks who cultivated it, although there is evidence that buckwheat was cultivated in Siberia, the Urals and the Volga-Kama region long before the arrival of Christianity in Rus'.

Buckwheat is very easy to prepare, it contains many useful substances, helps you lose weight or not gain weight, nourishes the body and even treats some diseases. Buckwheat can be cooked in 20 minutes on the stove, baked in the oven for 30 minutes, or cooked without heat at all. goes well with the usual national Russian products - both meat and vegetable, and sweet. You can easily surprise a foreigner with buckwheat, and this is the first thing you need to prepare in order to show off one of the best Russian dishes as quickly and simply as possible.

The benefits of buckwheat

Buckwheat contains provitamins A (carotenoids), vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B8 (inositol), B9, E, PP. Micro- and macroelements: magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, silicon, manganese, sulfur, selenium, zinc, copper, chromium, nickel, iodine, cobalt, vanadium, boron and fluorine. Buckwheat contains organic acids (malic, citric, oxalic, maleic and menolenic), flavonoids, phytoestrogens, polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega-3).

The iron in buckwheat helps the formation of red blood cells and also maintains a healthy complexion. Calcium strengthens bone tissue, reduces brittleness of nails and makes hair beautiful. Potassium regulates blood pressure. Magnesium is a natural antidepressant.

Vitamin P or rutin is especially interesting in buckwheat. Rutin perfectly strengthens the walls of arteries and makes them elastic, reduces capillary fragility and enhances the effect of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which improves thyroid function and heart function. Rutin is needed for those who have complex relationships with blood vessels.

Buckwheat surpasses some grain crops in terms of the content of essential acids, and buckwheat’s vegetable proteins, which are well digestible, will be useful for those who exclude meat from their diet.

The main advantage of buckwheat is not the amount of vitamins and microelements, but 8 essential amino acids. These amino acids are not synthesized in the human body and come to us only with food. Each amino acid individually and all as a whole influence many internal processes, the production of hormones and the proper functioning of all organs. The most important amino acids contained in buckwheat are lysine, methionine, tryptophan, threonine and arginine.

Buckwheat does not contain gluten (gluten). This will be useful to know for those who are gluten intolerant. Buckwheat flour can replace wheat, oatmeal, rye and barley. Buckwheat flour makes excellent traditional pancakes and pancakes. Buckwheat flour can be added to wheat flour and create new combinations of flavors for familiar dishes.

It is believed that regular consumption of buckwheat helps to better tolerate rheumatic symptoms and even relieve exacerbations. The substances contained in buckwheat help relieve swelling and pain in the joints.

Buckwheat flour is a folk remedy against heartburn. To do this, you can grind the cereal in a coffee grinder and take a quarter teaspoon three times a day. For anemia, the portion of buckwheat flour is increased to 2 tablespoons 4-5 times a day before meals. Buckwheat flour works especially well in combination with buckwheat honey.

Buckwheat flour treats or reduces painful symptoms in diseases of the thyroid gland, furunculosis, atherosclerosis, varicose veins, and heart disease. It is worth noting that buckwheat is not a medicine in the usual sense, but it can activate the internal forces of the body to overcome the disease. It is rather a very tasty prophylactic remedy. If you eat buckwheat in moderation and cook the grain at least once a week from early youth, then there is a high chance of not getting the above diseases at all.

Buckwheat diet

Fans of mono-diets also paid attention to buckwheat. Indeed, a good set of vitamins, microelements and minerals, complex carbohydrates and ease of preparation make buckwheat attractive for those who are struggling with extra pounds.

Among the advantages, supporters of the buckwheat diet highlight the abundance of vitamins and fiber, the ability of buckwheat to remove toxins and “bad” cholesterol with heavy metals. In addition, buckwheat is easily digestible and does not irritate the digestive system during gastritis, ulcers and pancreatitis. Plus, buckwheat contains a lot of easily digestible protein.

Those losing weight notice rapid weight loss after 7-10 days. But after 14 days, the body will use up its “emergency reserve” of vitamins and elements, and all the disadvantages of deliberately depriving oneself of food variety will appear. Be careful and don't sit on buckwheat for too long.

We do not recommend limiting your diet to only buckwheat, since to nourish the body you need more substances than are contained in buckwheat. Buckwheat is very healthy, but the recommendations of nutritionists, which were perceived as the slogan “buckwheat will save us,” were different. Nutritionists suggest increasing the amount of healthy foods in the diet, including buckwheat, and reducing or eliminating harmful ones. Sharp fluctuations, such as “only buckwheat” or “only carrots” can only do harm and do not solve the problem. Almost all nutritionists agree that by reducing or eliminating transgenic fats (margarine, etc.) in combination with fast carbohydrates (sugar), while increasing the proportion of cereals, vegetables and fruits, you can achieve some weight loss. A diet consisting only of healthy foods, such as fish, vegetables, herbs, fruits, and grains supported by natural fats, will be an effective, although not as fast as you want, way to lose weight.

The conclusion is simple: buckwheat is healthy, it should be included in the diet, but you should not eat buckwheat alone. Add vegetable salads, fruits or dried fruits, vegetable oils, for example, olive or sesame or flaxseed, herbs, spices, honey or cottage cheese to buckwheat and exclude street baked goods, store-bought convenience foods, sweet sodas, beer and other foods that significantly spoil your figure. It is in this form that the buckwheat diet will help you get rid of excess weight without harming your health.

How to cook buckwheat

Cooking buckwheat is very simple - you only need water, a saucepan and fire. Well, butter will also come in handy. Cooking buckwheat at home can be divided into two main methods - on the stove in a saucepan and in the oven in ceramics, for example, in a pot.

How to cook buckwheat

One part buckwheat and two parts water (1:2). Always wash buckwheat and remove black grains. Cook covered after boiling over low heat. Don't forget to add salt! Take a pan with thick walls and a bottom. After the water has boiled away, add a piece of butter to the buckwheat, turn off the heat and wrap it in a wool blanket for 10-15 minutes.

How to cook buckwheat in the oven

Take a ceramic pot, add washed buckwheat, fill with water (1 part buckwheat, 2 parts water). Add some salt. Place in a cold oven, turn on the heat and, setting the temperature to 180 degrees, remove the buckwheat after 30 minutes. After this, it is not necessary to wrap the pot of buckwheat in a blanket - just leave the pot in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Don't forget to add butter - buckwheat always tastes better with it. Along with buckwheat, you can put fried vegetables, mushrooms or meat in a pot.

Buckwheat and mushrooms are best friends. Fry onions in oil, add dried or fresh mushrooms and mix with buckwheat. This is a classic combination of Russian cuisine with a mild taste and fragrant aroma, not hidden by a wall of bright spices.

Any porridge loves butter. Remembering the old Russian proverb - you can’t spoil porridge with oil, feel free to add butter or vegetable oil to buckwheat, the dish will only benefit from this.

Buckwheat goes well with meat, fish, vegetables and herbs. Try different combinations. Vegetables can be added raw at the start of cooking or fried - into the finished porridge. Buckwheat can also be prepared sweet - just add dried fruits when cooking. Add honey and nuts to the finished dish and get a sweet and very satisfying dish. By the way, buckwheat with dried fruits can perfectly replace sweet dishes while you are on a diet, or serve as a simple breakfast. Here it is worth paying attention once again to the ease of preparing buckwheat and revealing one of the most important secrets of cooking buckwheat - slow, cold cooking.

The essence of the method is that buckwheat can be soaked in the evening with the same proportions as for cooking, and in the morning your porridge will be absolutely ready. Buckwheat prepared in this way can be heated or eaten cold. This method is very convenient when there is absolutely no time to prepare food, and a full breakfast is needed like air. And this same method is very popular with hikers and fishermen. Buckwheat can be soaked not only overnight, but also in the morning. Then in the evening all you have to do is warm it up for 5 minutes - and you can eat it. It's really very convenient. The method of cold cooking buckwheat is also good because the vitamins that are destroyed by heat treatment remain intact. This means that buckwheat will be even a little healthier.

Buckwheat is a simple and very tasty cereal, full of useful substances and vitamins. Feel free to cook buckwheat porridge, add mushrooms and butter, cook buckwheat as a side dish and for breakfast, make buckwheat with vegetables, meat or sweet. Make the most of the beneficial properties of buckwheat!

Product Description

Buckwheat obtained from buckwheat grains, which are not actually grains. This is a relative of sorrel (if you look closely at the panicles of sorrel, you will notice small seeds, similar in shape to buckwheat). The grains are shaped like beech nuts, which is why in some European countries it is called “beech wheat.”

The fragrant pink flowers of buckwheat attract many bees, which produce dark, fragrant, slightly bitter buckwheat honey.

It is known that more than 5 thousand years ago, buckwheat began to be cultivated in Northern India and Nepal, and then in China, Central Asia, Ancient Greece, Africa and the Caucasus. Buckwheat appeared in Russia during the Tatar-Mongol invasion. And in Europe - only in the 15th century, there it was called pagan, Turkish or Arabic grain, since the tradition of using it was imported by non-believers. And the Slavic name - “Greek grain”, according to one version, arose because Greek monks initially began to cultivate buckwheat in monasteries.

All over the world, except for Slavic countries, buckwheat is considered an expensive product. It is difficult to grow and process, and is a health food that has traditionally been more expensive than regular food. It is interesting that the main exporter of buckwheat to the world market is China, and not Russia or Poland (114 thousand tons versus 7 thousand and 6.8 thousand tons, respectively). And the world's main importer is Japan.

Buckwheat contains 3-5 times more microelements than other cereals, and is especially rich in iron and calcium, as well as folic acid and beneficial amino acids. However, buckwheat does not contain gluten. This cereal is also distinguished by its high calorie content: 100 g - about 320 kcal.

Types and varieties

Buckwheat is sold in peeled, polished and fried.

If the seeds are whole, then it is called kernel, if fragmented, then done well(aka chop). Rolled buckwheat is called Smolensk.

How to cook

You should not think that porridge made from kernels, prodel (also called sechka) or rolled “Smolensk groats”, so common in Russia, is the only way to prepare buckwheat.

In Rus', flour has been ground from it for a long time, however, due to the lack of gluten (gluten), it was unsuitable for baking bread (“buckwheat bread,” which is now sold in stores, is baked from a mixture of wheat and buckwheat flour), and it was used to make pancakes, pancakes, flatbreads, dumplings. Buckwheat makes very tasty soups and casseroles. This tradition is still alive today, but some dishes, e.g. buckwheaters, which were once one of the main Lenten dishes and were often served with cabbage soup, have been forgotten.

A light, unprocessed egg is cooked for 30-40 minutes, but now mostly steamed egg is on sale - it is dark in color and can be cooked in 15-20 minutes. From time immemorial, we have been cooking porridge for babies.

In addition to the Slavic countries and France, where thin buckwheat crepes are traditionally baked in Brittany, there is at least one more country for which buckwheat in the form of flour is a traditional and very characteristic element of the national cuisine. This country is Japan. Thin, long and surprisingly tender buckwheat soba noodles are produced here. The highest achievement for a cook is to be able to make noodles only from buckwheat flour, without adding wheat. Japanese chefs have been studying for years to knead this kind of noodle dough, roll it and cut it. Soba is served cold or hot with a variety of fillings: vegetables, mushrooms, meat, seafood, or simply soy sauce.

Another place where buckwheat pasta is produced is the Swiss and Italian Alps. This pasta is called pizzoccheri in Italian, although it has nothing to do with pizza.

However, not only the grains of this plant are edible: residents of many countries in Southeast Asia eat the leaves and shoots of buckwheat - they are fried, put in soups, salads, marinades, and used as a seasoning for meat dishes.

How to select and store

Unlike many other cereals and flours, buckwheat can be stored for a long time without spoiling, because the fats included in its composition are resistant to oxidation. The main thing that needs to be provided for storage is a dark and cool place.

“Black rice” is the name given to buckwheat in Nepal and northern India. More than 5 thousand years ago, humanity cultivated this herbaceous plant. Through China and Central Asia, it penetrated into Europe, where in some places it is traditionally called “beech wheat.” Hence, in fact, the Latin name Fagopyrum - “similar to a beech nut.” The benefits and application of culture are described in the article.

The concepts of “buckwheat” and “buckwheat”

Common buckwheat is a species from the genus of the same name in the Buckwheat family - Polygonaceae, and is a cereal and melliferous plant. Refers to cereal grain types of pseudocereals. Not only do the seeds form part of the human diet, they are also eaten by birds.

Culture looks like this:

• inflorescences of many white or pink flowers;
• seeds (the fruit is botanically called a “nut”), ripening in September or October, light green, triangular in shape;
• plant height - up to 100 cm;
• stem - erect;
• leaves are arrow-shaped and triangular.

The word “buckwheat” has not one meaning, but several:

• cereal-kernel, which is a whole grain;
• prodel - ground buckwheat fruits;
• Smolensk groats (strong grinding of grains);

These species can be subject to heat and hydro treatment, then the product becomes brown. Without such conditions, it remains a greenish tint. It is considered dietary, and the price per kilogram of such cereals is more than twice as high as the usual fried one. But it’s interesting that there is another “buckwheat” - paspalum from the Cereals family. This plant is completely different from buckwheat and grows in the tropics and subtropics.

Did you know?The cereal paspalum pitta is used to make kodo, or kodra, a cereal made in South Asia. The finger buckwheat species of the same genus is found in the Crimea.

Productivity

More than 2.3 million tons of buckwheat are grown worldwide. In the country, the crop yield (8–10 c/ha) relative to wheat is approximately 2 times lower. The highest figure is 30 c/ha. Growing the plant does not require any special expenses; the main factor in the yield's success is weather conditions.

The quality of cereal directly affects its price, which, in turn, separates three types of goods.

Chemical composition

Buckwheat has a unique taste and a wonderful chemical composition.

The minerals it is rich in are important for humans, among them it is especially worth noting:

• copper;
• phosphorus;
• zinc;
• potassium;
• iron.

The grain component of the plant contains vitamins B, PP and E. The vitamin abundance of the crop makes it stand out from other cereals, so buckwheat is considered a dietary product.

Did you know? The culture that came from the East received its name due to the fact that it came directly to the Slavic land through the Greek land.

The composition of the grains includes:

• 18 amino acids;
• up to 60% complex carbohydrates;
• cellulose;
• proteins.

Benefits and harms

The calorie content of buckwheat is relatively high - 308 kcal per 100 g. At the same time, when the cereal is steamed, the indicator remains the same, but as a result of cooking it decreases to 110 kcal. The benefit of porridge lies mainly in the content of flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties.

The substances affect the body in such a way that the blood vessels are strengthened, and thus the excellent functioning of the heart muscle is maintained. Buckwheat is used to normalize hemoglobin levels in anemia.

• So, the main indicators of benefit:
• reducing the amount of unnecessary cholesterol;
• digestive stimulation;
• cleansing the body of waste and toxins;
• maintaining the functioning of the nervous system and stabilizing the endocrine system;
• assistance in metabolism, maintaining blood pressure levels;
• promoting brain activity.

But not every person can freely eat buckwheat products.

• You should refrain from consuming the crop due to possible harm:
• those people who have increased blood clotting (cereals contain a lot of rutin);
• due to gas formation and constipation;
• for diabetes, migraine and varicose veins;
• due to the presence of renal failure.

Important!Do not eat buckwheat with milk - different enzymes are required to digest the ingredients, which has a bad effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Application of buckwheat

Prepared from cereals:

• buckwheat porridge;
• puddings;
• cutlets;
• soups;
• tea, famous in the East.

The grain is ground into flour, which does not contain gluten (gluten), so wheat is added to make buckwheat bread. Various pasta products are made from this flour mixture. Porridge is also made from “green buckwheat”.

The Chinese use it in the form of tea, which lowers blood pressure.

Getting honey

In those regions of the country where the soils are predominantly sandy loam, buckwheat is the main plant. Under good conditions (normal humidity), up to 80 kg of honey can be harvested from one hectare of crops. Buckwheat is pollinated by insects, among which bees are important (they also provide about 70% of seed production).

The flowers provide a lot of nectar and pollen. If the weather is warm with high humidity, nectar production increases. The resulting color is dark brown, has a reddish tint, its taste is spicy, and its aroma is special.

Eating

Cereals and flour are the main products of buckwheat.

An expert on Russian cooking, William Pokhlebkin, claims that:

• The Slavs traditionally prepared crumbly porridge from kernels;
• sweet dishes with milk were made from Smolensk cereals;
• The “mess” was cooked out of the blue.

The first option is usually an independent dish or side dish.

There are several interesting recipes, for example:

• “krupenik” - buckwheat baked with eggs and cottage cheese;
• “buckwheat” - bread made from the appropriate flour;
• lamb stomach stuffed with porridge - “nanny”.

Application in medicine

It is worth mentioning vitamin R once again.

• In medicine, this substance is part of various drugs and is used as a therapeutic and prophylactic component of drugs for diseases such as:
• hypertension;
• preeclampsia;
• glomerulonephritis;
• septic endocarditis;
• hemorrhage.

The dietary significance of buckwheat has already been indicated above.

• In folk medicine, in addition to cereals, flowers and leaves of the plant are known to be used, which:
• strengthen vascular walls;
• treat diseases of the respiratory system;
• promote rapid skin regeneration;
• relieve pain from radiculitis.

Flowers of the crop are brewed for medicinal purposes, infusions are made from dry herbs of inflorescences and leaves, cereals are used for warming (the heated grains are placed in bags, which are then used to warm painful areas).

• Medicinal properties are, of course, also characteristic of buckwheat honey, which is useful:
• for hypertension and vitamin deficiency;
• to relieve chronic gastritis;
• due to increased stomach acidity.

Important!It is dangerous to eat fresh buckwheat flowers and leaves - they are poisonous.

A wonderful crop, traditional and popular to this day, is buckwheat. Not only the well-known porridge is prepared from it, but also flour. In addition, parts of the plant are used to prepare various infusions and decoctions. Buckwheat products are useful for many people. This cereal is the queen of vitamins and other important components. In addition to simple buckwheat recipes, there are a lot of interesting ones, characteristic of different nations. The combination of unusual ingredients will surprise and renew your attitude towards buckwheat. Be healthy!

Where did buckwheat, so popular in our country, come from? There are plenty of versions and its exact origin has not been established. It is known that buckwheat seeds were brought from the Northern provinces of India.

And the name of the cereal is associated with the fact that buckwheat was grown by Greek monks in the 15th century in Kievan Rus, which is how it got the name buckwheat. However, in Greece and other European countries, buckwheat has not won recognition or popular love. And they call it beech wheat there for its resemblance to the fruits of a beech tree.

In our country, buckwheat is grown, and its grain is in great demand; it is the most waste-free plant. Even when flowering, buckwheat is beneficial. Its flowers are excellent honey plants, which is why we have the opportunity to be treated with buckwheat honey . The medicinal value of buckwheat leaves and flowers has been noted due to their high content of rutin. Rutin is a plant pigment - bioflavonoids or vitamin P. Therefore, buckwheat flowers and leaves are used to prepare purified rutin preparation. And in folk medicine, infusions and decoctions are prepared from buckwheat flowers, taken as a medicinal expectorant for tracheitis and cough.

Buckwheat grain is used for food, buckwheat husks or husks are used for heating, for heating greenhouses, pillows are filled with husks and not only for sleeping. Small pillows filled with buckwheat husks are purchased by car enthusiasts and placed on their seats. This rustling pillow has a massaging effect on stiff muscles during long trips.

But let's return to the main wealth - buckwheat. The most important thing is that buckwheat is not a genetically modified (GMO) plant, unlike some cultivated crops (soybeans, corn). Buckwheat is not demanding on growing conditions and grows well without additional treatment with chemicals and abundant application of mineral fertilizers, which lead to. After processing, buckwheat grain is obtained, from which buckwheat groats are obtained, ready for consumption.

Beneficial properties of buckwheat

Let's start with the fact that buckwheat, unlike other cereals, can be stored for a long time without being damaged or acquiring an unpleasant rancidity taste. This is due to the fact that the fats it contains are resistant to oxidation. Buckwheat contains a lot of starch, quickly digestible vegetable proteins, which in turn are rich in essential amino acids, the average calorie content of buckwheat is 330 kcal per 100 g. Therefore, buckwheat dishes are recommended for therapeutic and dietary nutrition, and for weight loss diets.

Buckwheat contains enough microelements necessary for the body, such as iron, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, which is necessary for women’s health, and many others. Vitamins B and P have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system, normalize blood sugar levels, and strengthen the walls of blood vessels. Vitamin P - rutin has an antioxidant effect, protects blood vessels from the effects of toxic metabolites. Previously, when buckwheat was a scarce product, it was sold only to people with diabetes, and in workers' canteens and hospitals it was given only as part of a diet.

It should be noted that not every body accepts buckwheat well, especially buckwheat. Sometimes during periods of exacerbation of pancreatitis or stomach ulcers, exacerbation of colitis, it is better to give up whole grain porridge. Buckwheat during an exacerbation can cause increased gas formation and belching. During this period, it is better to prepare viscous porridges from buckwheat flakes or from prodel.

Nowadays, there is a large selection of buckwheat on store shelves, including both steamed and non-steamed buckwheat. Buckwheat in bags and even instant buckwheat and even buckwheat flakes, which are boiled for 3 minutes. It is very convenient, you can choose according to your taste and wallet. Cereals are almost always on sale, but not everyone buys them, even knowing about their beneficial properties. Some are put off by the price, and some are not able to prepare buckwheat correctly.

Depending on the processing method and the quality of the grain, buckwheat is divided into several types and varieties. Cereals consisting of unchopped buckwheat kernels are kernels and the kernels are quickly boiled. If the buckwheat kernel is split into pieces, then this is a buckwheat job. The product is not divided into grades, but the kernel can be of the first and second grade. Crumbly porridges are prepared from kernels, but buckwheat is more suitable for preparing viscous porridges, krupeniki, and meatballs. But regardless of the variety and type, the beneficial properties of buckwheat do not decrease. The main thing is that the cereal is well cleaned and winnowed, without husks or debris. All grains were the same size and color.