Russian tradition of buckwheat
The idea of preparing meals with buckwheat is anything but new to me. I grew up eating buckwheat pretty much on a daily basis. Did I get tired of it? At times! But now I am really happy because I was accustomed to it from an early age. In the Soviet Union, if people didn't have much food there was always buckwheat. No matter where you went you didn't have to go far to find it. Not long after moving to California, I got home sick, and the first thing I wanted to have was buckwheat. A simple thing turned out to be a mission. I realized that it's not a common food in US. I ended up finding it at Whole Foods but it was definitely a cultural experience having to look hard for buckwheat. So what is so good about buckwheat? Despite its name, buckwheat has nothing to do with wheat. It is not a cereal grain at all. It’s the seed of the fagopyrum plant, which is in the same family as sorrel and rhubarb. It does not contain gluten. So referring to buckwheat as a seed than a grain would be more appropriate. Buckwheat provides numerous nutritional benefits.
It is a great source of vitamins B1, B2. Rutin that can also be found in buckwheat is actively used in therapeutic preparations prescribed for high blood pressure, rheumatism and other diseases. Rutin also has antioxidant activities, and able to fight against free radicals in your body. Buckwheat is also rich in various minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc and bromine. Most of all, it is a great source of iron, so it is recommended for people suffering from anemia. Researchers have discovered that if you eat buckwheat with fruits, the transition of iron to our bodies will increase. Buckwheat is full of dietary fiber which helps relieve constipation. Buckwheat is a good source of protein. The complete protein in buckwheat has 8 essential amino acids that dont get produced by the body. So buckwheat is more nutritionally valuable than other grains! Here is a great recipe for buckwheat:
Buckwheat Banana Pancakes
Makes 4 pancakes
Ingredients
1 very large egg (70g), beaten
1 ripe banana (95g), mashed
50ml organic milk of your choice
40g buckwheat flour
¼ tsp baking powder
5g raw honey
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Mix eggs and banana, add cinnamon and baking powder, then milk, honey and flour.
Heat a non-stick frying pan and fry large spoonfulls of the batter mix until little holes appear on the surface. Flip and cook the other side until golden.
Serve with honey or fresh fruits of your choice.
Enjoy!
It is a great source of vitamins B1, B2. Rutin that can also be found in buckwheat is actively used in therapeutic preparations prescribed for high blood pressure, rheumatism and other diseases. Rutin also has antioxidant activities, and able to fight against free radicals in your body. Buckwheat is also rich in various minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc and bromine. Most of all, it is a great source of iron, so it is recommended for people suffering from anemia. Researchers have discovered that if you eat buckwheat with fruits, the transition of iron to our bodies will increase. Buckwheat is full of dietary fiber which helps relieve constipation. Buckwheat is a good source of protein. The complete protein in buckwheat has 8 essential amino acids that dont get produced by the body. So buckwheat is more nutritionally valuable than other grains! Here is a great recipe for buckwheat:
Buckwheat Banana Pancakes
Makes 4 pancakes
Ingredients
1 very large egg (70g), beaten
1 ripe banana (95g), mashed
50ml organic milk of your choice
40g buckwheat flour
¼ tsp baking powder
5g raw honey
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Mix eggs and banana, add cinnamon and baking powder, then milk, honey and flour.
Heat a non-stick frying pan and fry large spoonfulls of the batter mix until little holes appear on the surface. Flip and cook the other side until golden.
Serve with honey or fresh fruits of your choice.
Enjoy!
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