What is buckwheat?

Buckwheat is a ‘pseudo-cereal’ crop that produces short plants with bright green, heart-shaped leaves. The white flowers of the plant yield the brownish buckwheat groats, that are slightly cone or pyramid-shaped. These seeds are similar to quinoa and amaranth.

There are some bumper health benefits to eating buckwheat. Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free, high in protein and packed full of vitamins including manganese and magnesium. Find out more about its benefits on healthyfood.co.uk

Buckwheat groats are typically used in salads, much like a grain, or even as a replacement for oats in porridge. You can also use them as a replacement for rice.

Buckwheat is also available in ground form, as a gluten-free flour – and you can use it to make pancakes, for example.

Three recipes to try:

Fruit and herb buckwheat salad

Parma ham, mozzarella and peach salad with buckwheat and quinoa

Griddled fennel with anchovies, quail eggs and buckwheat