BUCKWHEAT WHOLE ROASTED

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BUCKWHEAT WHOLE ROASTED 63.8

�1.65

Why Eat It

Buckwheat isn't related to wheat and is not a true grain, but rather the fruit of a plant belonging to the same family as sorrel and rhubarb. Buckwheat has a robust, nutlike flavor, perhaps the most distinctive of any food eaten as a grain. The particularly assertive taste of roasted buckwheat marries well with other hearty-flavored, densely textured foods, such as beef, root vegetables, cabbage, winter squash, roasted peppers, or eggplant. Nutritionally, the protein in buckwheat is of high quality because it contains all eight essential amino acids in good proportions, including significant amounts of lysine, the amino acid in which true grains, such as wheat, are most deficient. This pseudograin supplies a good amount of dietary fiber, as well as minerals, including magnesium and manganese.

The word buckwheat probably comes from the Dutch bockweit, which means beech wheat--most likely a reference to the plant's triangular fruits, which resemble beechnuts, and their wheatlike uses.

Americans are probably most familiar with buckwheat as a flour to make pancakes. The groats can be cooked and offered as an alternative to rice. Buckwheat has no gluten so it can be a good grain choice for individuals allergic to wheat.

Buckwheat groats, whole: These are the raw kernels with their inedible black shells removed. Whole groats are either white (unroasted) or brown (roasted). The white groats have a fairly mild flavor and can be substituted in dishes that call for white or brown rice.

Kasha: Roasted, hulled buckwheat kernels--usually cracked into coarse, medium, or fine granules--are also known as kasha. Enjoy their toasty flavor as an accompaniment to meat or as the basis for a grain-and-vegetable main dish.