Buckwheat is the Asian herb, which belongs to the Dicot family of flowering plants. Against the common misconceptions, this herb is not grown in the form of grasses and is in no way related to
wheat. It is grown in the form of crop specie as well as in the form of agricultural weed, known as wild
buckwheat. The name is derived from the resemblance of its seed shape with those of beech nut. This is the reason why it is also known as beech wheat.
Origin and Dispersion:
The herb made its first presence felt thousands of years ago in the region of Southeast Asia. From there,
buckwheat was introduced to various European countries. Also, the word about this herb spread in other regions of Asia, including Central Asia and eastern countries. The countries like China, Tibet and Japan adopted the cultivation of
buckwheat. In the opposite direction, the herb was introduced to North America and Canada. Thus, the
Buckwheat herb earned deserving success across the globe.
How to Grow:
Buckwheat is grown in the soil with low fertility and high content of acids.
Buckwheat is necessary to make sure that the soil is well-drained before sowing the seed. It is favorable to sow the
seeds at the end of hot weather, as it ensures high yield in the cool weather. The fertilizers, especially those containing nitrogen, must be restricted from feeding the growth of this cultivation.
What is the Composition?
The seeds of
buckwheat contain starch, proteins in the form of amino acids and minerals like iron, selenium and zinc. Apart from these, there is good percentage of antioxidants and aromatic compounds like decanal, hexanal and phenylacetaldehyde.
Uses of Buckwheat:
Buckwheat is utilized for a variety of purposes as mentioned below:
- Buckwheat dishes like noodles, groats, pancakes and bread like preparations.
- The buckwheat plant also produces a dark-colored honey, which is used to add flavor to a number of preparations.
- Buckwheat sprouts are also considered to contain high nutritional value, which is good for providing a good health to the individuals.
- Buckwheat is also helpful in controlling blood pressure and cholesterol level and treating chronic venous insufficiency.
- Buckwheat leaves are also used for preparing tea, which is useful for a number of purposes.
- Due to gluten free composition, buckwheat is also used in manufacturing special beers.
- It is also used to add flavor to salads and a number of other raw food dishes.
