To eat buckwheat

Hans Christian Anderson wrote a story about the pride of the buckwheat. While the tale ends sadly for the plant, in reality it does have a reason to be proud, being a highly nutritious ingredient.

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), a gluten-free grain-like crop, is a source of zinc, copper, manganese, protein and fiber, according to the Whole Grains Council. The benefits go on to include the role of buckwheat protein isolates in treating obesity, hypertension and constipation, while buckwheat flavonoid compounds may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, and may control blood pressure as well.

Buckwheat has been a part of the diet since 4,000 B.C. Today, most buckwheat grain for human consumption comes in the form of flour, says the Alternative Crops Manual of the Purdue University. Unlike other flours, it is a little bit brown since the hull fragments are not removed during milling. Buckwheat flour is also composed of other ingredients like rice, wheat, corn or oat flours, plus a leavening agent.

I was somewhat surprised to see buckwheat crepes on the menu of a new restaurant in the Philippines. You see, buckwheat is not something that locals would normally crave for. In Hong Kong and Japan – and perhaps other Asian countries, buckwheat noodles are widely available. But in the Philippines, few have heard of, much less, eaten anything with buckwheat flour. In fact, in this restaurant I went to, the buckwheat crepe is often overlooked by customers.

 

I’m going to say upfront that it takes a while to get used to the taste of buckwheat noodles or crepe when one is used to foods made from other types of flour. But I believe we should choose to have a bit of buckwheat when the opportunity presents itself, like that weekend for me in the mall where the grün gallete – a buckwheat crepe filled with asparagus, mushroom, peppers and cheese – leapt off the pages of the menu.