Editing Buckwheat

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae}}
{{About|a commonly cultivated crop plant|other uses}}
{{Speciesbox
|name = Buckwheat
|image = Japanese Buckwheat Flower.JPG
|genus = Fagopyrum
|species = esculentum
|authority = [[Conrad Moench|Moench]]
|synonyms =
    {{Plainlist | style = margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em; |
*''Polygonum fagopyrum'' <small>L. 1753</small>
*''Fagopyrum cereale'' <small>Raf.</small>
*''Fagopyrum dryandrii'' <small>Fenzl</small>
*''Fagopyrum emarginatum'' <small>(Roth) [[Carl Meissner|Meisn.]] 1840</small>
*''Fagopyrum emarginatum'' <small>Moench 1802</small>
*''Fagopyrum fagopyrum'' <small>(L.) H.Karst., invalid tautonym</small>
*''Fagopyrum polygonum'' <small>Macloskie</small>
*''Fagopyrum sagittatum'' <small>Gilib.</small>
*''Fagopyrum sarracenicum'' <small>Dumort.</small>
*''Fagopyrum vulgare'' <small>Hill ex Druce 1913</small>
*''Fagopyrum vulgare'' <small>T.Nees 1853</small>
*''Polygonum emarginatum'' <small>Roth</small>
    }}
|synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2807310
|title=The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species
|website=theplantlist.org
|access-date=3 October 2014
|archive-date=22 December 2019
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222073237/http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2807310
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>
|}}

'''Buckwheat''' (''Fagopyrum esculentum'') or '''common buckwheat'''<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=Ya |last2=Nie |first2=Zihan |last3=Ma |first3=Tingjun |date=2022-02-24 |title=The Effects of Plasma-Activated Water Treatment on the Growth of Tartary Buckwheat Sprouts |journal=Frontiers in Nutrition |volume=9 |pages=849615 |doi=10.3389/fnut.2022.849615 |issn=2296-861X |pmc=8908094 |pmid=35284468|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="USDA GRIN">{{cite web|url=https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=16528|title=USDA GRIN Taxonomy|access-date=16 December 2014}}</ref> is a [[flowering plant]] in the knotweed family [[Polygonaceae]] cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a [[cover crop]].  Buckwheat originated around the 6th millennium BCE in the region of what is now [[Yunnan|Yunnan Province]] in southwestern [[China]]. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as ''[[Fagopyrum tataricum]]'', a domesticated food plant raised in Asia.

Despite its name, buckwheat is not closely related to [[wheat]]. Buckwheat is not a [[cereal]], nor is it a member of the [[Poaceae|grass family]]. It is related to [[sorrel]], [[Polygonum|knotweed]], and [[rhubarb]]. Buckwheat is considered a [[pseudocereal]] because the high [[starch]] content of the seeds enables buckwheat to be cooked and consumed like a cereal.

== Etymology ==
The name "buckwheat" or "beech wheat" comes from its [[tetrahedral]] seeds, which resemble the much larger seeds of the beech nut from the [[beech|beech tree]], and the fact that it is used like wheat. The word may be a translation of [[Middle Dutch]] {{lang|dum|boecweite}}: {{lang|dum|boec}} "beech" (Modern Dutch {{lang|nl|beuk}}; see [[Proto-Indo-European language|PIE]] *''bhago''-) and {{lang|dum|weite}} "wheat" (Mod. Dut. {{lang|nl|tarwe}}, antiquated {{lang|nl|weit}}), or maybe a native formation on the same model as the Dutch word.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=buckwheat |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |publisher=Etymonline.com |access-date=2013-11-24}}</ref>

== Description ==
Buckwheat is a herbaceous annual flowering plant growing to about {{convert|60|cm|inch}}, with red stems and pink and white flowers resembling those of knotweeds.<ref name="Blamey-2003">{{cite book|last1=Blamey|first1=M.|last2=Fitter|first2=R.|last3=Fitter|first3=A|year=2003|title=Wild flowers of Britain and Ireland: The Complete Guide to the British and Irish Flora|publisher=A & C Black|location=London|isbn=978-1408179505}}</ref>{{rp|68}} The leaves are arrow-shaped and the fruits are achenes about 5–7&nbsp;mm with 3 prominent sharp angles.<ref name="Stace-2019">{{cite book|last=Stace|first=C. A.|author-link = Stace, C. A.|year=2019|title=New Flora of the British Isles|edition=Fourth|publisher=C & M Floristics|location = Middlewood Green, Suffolk, U.K.| isbn=978-1-5272-2630-2}}</ref>{{rp|94}}

== Distribution ==
''Fagopyrum esculentum'' is native to south-central China and Tibet,<ref name="POWO">{{cite web |work=Plants of the world online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |title=''Fagopyrum esculentum'' Moench |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:694526-1 | access-date=19 August 2022 }}</ref> and has been introduced into suitable climates across Eurasia, Africa and the Americas.<ref name="POWO"/>

== History ==
[[File:Leiden University Library - Seikei Zusetsu vol. 17, page 027 - 蕎麦 - Fagopyrum esculentum Moench, 1804.jpg|thumb|Buckwheat, illustration from the Japanese agricultural encyclopedia Seikei Zusetsu (1804)]]
The wild ancestor of common buckwheat is ''F. esculentum'' ssp. ''ancestrale''. ''F. homotropicum'' is interfertile with ''F. esculentum'' and the wild forms have a common distribution, in Yunnan, a southwestern province of China. The wild ancestor of tartary buckwheat is ''F. tataricum'' ssp. ''potanini''.<ref>{{cite journal|author1= Ohnishi, O. |author2= Matsuoka, Y. |year= 1996|title= Search for the wild ancestor of buckwheat II. Taxonomy of ''Fagopyrum'' (Polygonaceae) species based on morphology, isozymes and cpDNA variability|journal= Genes and Genetic Systems|volume= 71|issue= 6|pages= 383–390 | doi = 10.1266/ggs.71.383|doi-access= free}}</ref>

Common buckwheat was domesticated and first cultivated in inland [[Southeast Asia]], possibly around 6000&nbsp;BCE, and from there spread to [[Central Asia]] and [[Tibet]], and then to the [[Middle East]] and Europe, which it reached by the 15th century.<ref>{{cite book| last1 = Weekly| first1 = Ernest| publisher = Dover Publications |date = 1967| title = An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English|entry = Buckwheat|page = 211}}</ref> Domestication most likely took place in the western Yunnan region of China.<ref>{{cite journal
 | doi= 10.1007/BF02861199
 | author= Ohnishi, O
 | year= 1998
 | title= Search for the wild ancestor of buckwheat III. The wild ancestor of cultivated common buckwheat, and of tatary buckwheat
 | journal= [[Economic Botany]]
 | volume= 52
 | issue= 2
 | pages= 123–133
| s2cid= 22902898
 }}</ref>

The oldest remains found in China so far date to ''circa'' 2600&nbsp;BCE, while buckwheat pollen found in Japan dates from as early as 4000&nbsp;BCE. It is the world's highest-elevation domesticate, being cultivated in [[Yunnan]] on the edge of the [[Tibetan Plateau]] or on the plateau itself. Buckwheat was one of the earliest crops introduced by Europeans to North America. Dispersal around the globe was complete by 2006, when a variety developed in Canada was widely planted in China. In India, buckwheat flour is known as ''kuttu ka atta'' and has long been culturally associated with many festivals like [[Shivratri]], [[Navaratri]] and  [[Janmashtami]]. On the day of these festivals, food items made only from buckwheat are consumed.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bhaduri|first1=Niti Pathak|last2=Prajneshu|first2=Meenakshi|year=2016|title=Kuttu (Buckwheat): A Promising Staple Food Grain for Our Diet|url=http://jiid.in/2016/08/kuttu-buckwheat-promising-staple-food-grain-diet/|journal=Journal of Innovation for Inclusive Development|volume=1|pages=43–45|access-date=29 December 2016|archive-date=2018-10-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018005420/http://jiid.in/2016/08/kuttu-buckwheat-promising-staple-food-grain-diet|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Cultivation ==
[[File:Rijpend Boekweit in Salland 2013.jpg| thumb|Buckwheat with flowers, ripe and unripe seeds]]

Buckwheat is a short-season crop that grows well in low-fertility or acidic soils; too much fertilizer – especially [[fertilizer#nitrogen fertilizer anchor|nitrogen]] – reduces yields, and  the soil must be well drained. In hot climates buckwheat can be grown only by sowing late in the season, so that it blooms in cooler weather. The presence of [[pollinator]]s greatly increases yield.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Płażek |first=Agnieszka |last2=Kopeć |first2=Przemysław |last3=Dziurka |first3=Michał |last4=Słomka |first4=Aneta |date=2023-09-25 |title=The yield of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) depends on the genotype but not on the Pin-to-Thrum ratio |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-43059-0 |journal=Scientific Reports |language=en |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=16022 |doi=10.1038/s41598-023-43059-0 |issn=2045-2322|pmc=10519966 }}</ref> Nectar from flowering buckwheat produces a dark-colored honey.<ref>{{cite journal | first1 = Federica | last1 = Pasini | first2 = Silvia | last2 = Gardini | first3 = Gian Luigi | last3 = Marcazzan | first4 = Maria Fiorenza | last4 = Caboni | year = 2013 | title = Buckwheat honeys: Screening of composition and properties | journal = Food Chemistry | volume = 141 | issue = 3 | pages = 2802–2811 | doi = 10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.05.102 | pmid = 23871027 }}</ref>

The buckwheat plant has a branching root system with a primary [[taproot]] that reaches deeply into moist soil.<ref name="Stone-1906">{{cite report |last=Stone |first=J.L. |year=1906 |title=Buckwheat |department=Agricultural experiment station of the College of Agriculture Department of Agronomy |series=Bulletin |volume=238 |pages=184–193 |place=Ithaca, NY |publisher=[[Cornell University]]}}</ref> It grows {{convert|75|to|125|cm|in|round=5|abbr=off}} tall.<ref name="Björkman-2008">{{cite report |first1=T. |last1=Björkman |first2=R.R. |last2=Bellinder |first3=R.R. |last3=Hahn |first4=J. |last4=Shail |name-list-style=amp |year=2008 |title=Buckwheat Cover Crop Handbook |publisher=[[Cornell University]] |place=Ithaca, NY |url=http://www.hort.cornell.edu/bjorkman/lab/buck/handbook/main.php}}</ref> Buckwheat has tetrahedral seeds and produces a flower that is usually white, although can also be pink or yellow.<ref name="Li-2001">{{cite journal | last1 = Li | first1 = S. | last2 = Zhang | first2 = Q.H. | year = 2001 | title = Advances in the development of functional foods from buckwheat | journal = Food Science and Nutrition | volume = 41 | issue = 6 | pages = 451–464 | doi=10.1080/20014091091887 | pmid = 11592684 | s2cid = 13049923 }}</ref> Buckwheat branches freely, as opposed to [[Tiller (botany)|tillering]] or producing suckers, enabling more complete adaption to its environment than other cereal crops.<ref name="Stone-1906"/>

Buckwheat is raised for grain where only a brief time is available for growth, either because the buckwheat is an early or a second crop in the season, or because the total growing season is limited. It establishes quickly, which suppresses summer weeds, and can be a reliable [[cover crop]] in summer to fit a small slot of warm season.<ref name="Björkman-2008"/> Buckwheat has a growing period of only 10–12 weeks<ref>{{cite report |collaboration=Agriculture Canada |year=1978 |title=Growing Buckwheat |place=Ottawa, Canada |publisher=[[Canadian Department of Agriculture]]}}</ref> and it can be grown in high latitude or northern areas.<ref>{{cite report |last1=Quisenberry |first1=K.S. |last2=Taylor |first2=J.W. |year=1939 |title=Growing Buckwheat |series=Farmers' bulletin |volume=1835 |pages=1–17 |place=Washington, DC |publisher=[[U.S. Department of Agriculture]]}}</ref> Buckwheat is sometimes used as a [[green manure]], as a plant for [[erosion]] control or as wildlife cover and feed.<ref name="Björkman-2008"/>

==Production==
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; width:12em; text-align:center;"
|+ Buckwheat production <br>{{small|2023, tonnes}}
|-
| {{RUS}} || 1,149,067
|-
| {{CHN}} || 504,266
|-
| {{UKR}} || 210,720
|-
| {{USA}} || 86,679
|-
| {{KAZ}} || 83,491
|-
| {{BRA}} || 64,611
|-
| '''Total''' || 2,204,015
|-
|colspan=2|{{small|Source: [[FAOSTAT]] of the [[United Nations]]}}<ref name="faostat">{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC|title=Buckwheat production in 2023, Crops/Regions/World list/Production Quantity/Year (pick lists)|date=2025|publisher=UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT)|access-date=23 April 2025}}</ref>
|}

In 2023, world production of buckwheat was 2.2 million tonnes, led by Russia with 52% of the total, with China and Ukraine as secondary producers (table).

=== Biological control ===
''F. esculentum'' may be used as a pollen and nectar source to increase natural predator numbers to control crop pests.<ref name="Gurr-2017">{{cite journal | last1=Gurr | first1=Geoff M. | last2=Wratten | first2=Steve D. | last3=Landis | first3=Douglas A. | last4=You | first4=Minsheng | title=Habitat Management to Suppress Pest Populations: Progress and Prospects | journal=[[Annual Review of Entomology]]| volume=62 | issue=1 | date=31 January 2017 | issn=0066-4170 | doi=10.1146/annurev-ento-031616-035050 | pages=91–109| pmid=27813664 }}</ref>

<gallery>
Buckwheat Bhutan.jpg|Field of buckwheat in [[Bumthang Province|Bumthang]] (Bhutan)
Buckwheat field near Vrchovina in Czech Republic.jpg|Buckwheat field near Vrchovina in the [[Czech Republic]]
Fagopyrum esculentum1.jpg|Common buckwheat in flower
Buckwheat flower macroA Crop1.jpg|Buckwheat flower in close up ([[thrum (botany)|thrum]])
Fagopyrum esculentum seed 001.jpg|[[Kernel (seed)|Seed]] and withered flower of buckwheat
Fagopyrum_%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%BA%D0%B0.jpg|Hulled roasted buckwheat cereal ([[Kasha|kasha]])
</gallery>

== Phytochemicals ==

Buckwheat contains diverse [[phytochemical]]s, including [[rutin]], [[tannin]]s, [[catechin-7-O-glucoside]] in groats,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.phenol-explorer.eu/reports/41 |title=Phenol-Explorer: Showing report on Cereals |publisher=Phenol-explorer.eu |access-date=24 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
 |vauthors=Kreft S, Knapp M, Kreft I | title=Extraction of rutin from buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum'' Moench) seeds and determination by capillary electrophoresis
 | journal=[[Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry]]
 | volume=47
 | issue=11
 | pages=4649–52
 |date=November 1999
 | doi = 10.1021/jf990186p
 | pmid=10552865
}}</ref> and [[fagopyrin]]s,<ref name="Eguchi-2009">{{cite journal
 |vauthors=Eguchi K, Anase T, Osuga H | title=Development of a High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Method to Determine the Fagopyrin Content of Tartary Buckwheat (Fagopyrum tartaricum Gaertn.) and Common Buckwheat (F. esculentum Moench)
 | journal=Plant Production Science
 | year=2009
 | volume=12
 | issue=4
 | pages=475–480
 | doi = 10.1626/pps.12.475
| bibcode=2009PlPrS..12..475E
 | doi-access=free
 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
 |vauthors=Ožbolt L, Kreft S, Kreft I, Germ M, Stibilj V | title=Distribution of selenium and phenolics in buckwheat plants grown from seeds soaked in Se solution and under different levels of UV-B radiation
 | journal=[[Food Chemistry (journal)|Food Chemistry]]
 | year=2008
 | volume=110
 | issue=3
 | pages=691–6
 | doi = 10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.02.073
}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
 | vauthors=Tavčar Benković E, Žigon D, Friedrich M, Plavec J, Kreft S | title=Isolation, analysis and structures of phototoxic fagopyrins from buckwheat
 | journal=[[Food Chemistry (journal)|Food Chemistry]]
 | year=2014
 | volume=143
 | pages=432–439
 | doi = 10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.07.118
| pmid=24054263
 }}</ref> which are located mainly in the [[cotyledon]]s of the buckwheat plant.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kreft |first1=S. |last2=Janeš  |first2=D. |last3=Kreft |first3=I. |date=2013 |title=The content of fagopyrin and polyphenols in common and tartary buckwheat sprouts |journal=Acta Pharmaceutica |volume=63 |issue=4 |pages=553–60 |doi=10.2478/acph-2013-0031 |pmid=24451079 |doi-access=free }}</ref> It has almost no levels of inorganic arsenic.<ref>{{Cite web|date=14 February 2017|title=Yes, There Is Arsenic In Your Rice. Here's What You Need To Know|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/arsenic-in-rice_n_589cc1ffe4b09bd304c0b04c|access-date=8 April 2021|website=[[HuffPost]]|language=en}}</ref>

===Aromatic compounds===
[[Salicylaldehyde]] (2-hydroxybenzaldehyde) was identified as a characteristic component of buckwheat aroma.<ref>{{cite journal
 |vauthors=Janes D, Kreft S | title=Salicylaldehyde is a characteristic aroma component of buckwheat groats
 | journal=[[Food Chemistry (journal)|Food Chemistry]]
 | volume=109
 | issue=2
 | pages=293–8
 | year=2008
 | doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.12.032
| pmid=26003350
 }}</ref> [[2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone]], [[(E,E)-2,4-decadienal]], [[phenylacetaldehyde]], [[2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol]], [[2-Nonenal|(E)-2-nonenal]], [[decanal]] and  [[hexanal]] also contribute to its aroma. They all have [[odour activity value]] of more than 50, but the aroma of these substances in an isolated state does not resemble buckwheat.<ref>{{cite journal
 |vauthors=Janes D, Kantar D, Kreft S, Prosen H | title=Identification of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) aroma compounds with GC-MS
 | journal=[[Food Chemistry (journal)|Food Chemistry]]
 | volume=112
 | issue=1
 | pages=120–4
 | date=1 January 2009
 | doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.05.048
}}</ref>

==Nutrition==
{{nutritional value
 | name=Buckwheat
 | kJ=1435
 | protein=13.25 g
 | fat=3.4 g
 | satfat=0.741 g
 | monofat=1.04 g
 | polyfat=1.039 g
 | omega3fat=0.078 g 
 | omega6fat=0.961 g
 | carbs=71.5 g
 | fiber=10 g
 | calcium_mg=18
 | iron_mg=2.2
 | magnesium_mg=231
 | phosphorus_mg=347
 | potassium_mg=460
 | sodium_mg=1
 | zinc_mg=2.4
 | manganese_mg=1.3
 | vitC_mg=0
 | thiamin_mg=0.101
 | riboflavin_mg=0.425
 | niacin_mg=7.02
 | pantothenic_mg=1.233
 | vitB6_mg=0.21
 | folate_ug=30
 | copper_mg =1.1
 | selenium_ug = 8.3
 | water= 9.8 g
 | note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170286/nutrients Link to entry at USDA FoodData Central]}}

Raw dry buckwheat is 10% water, 72% [[carbohydrate]]s, 13% [[protein (nutrient)|protein]], and 3% [[fat]] (table). In a reference amount of {{cvt|100|g}}, dry buckwheat supplies 343 [[calorie]]s of [[food energy]], and is a rich source (20% or more of the [[Daily Value]], DV) of three [[B vitamins]] ([[riboflavin]], [[niacin]], [[pantothenic acid]]) and several [[mineral (nutrient)|dietary minerals]]  (table).

===Gluten-free===
As buckwheat contains no [[gluten]], it may be eaten by people with [[gluten-related disorders]], such as [[coeliac disease|celiac disease]], [[non-celiac gluten sensitivity]] or [[dermatitis herpetiformis]].<ref name="Ciacci-2015">{{cite journal| vauthors=Ciacci C, Ciclitira P, Hadjivassiliou M, Kaukinen K, Ludvigsson JF, McGough N et al.| title=The gluten-free diet and its current application in coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis | journal=[[United European Gastroenterology Journal]] | year= 2015 | volume= 3 | issue= 2 | pages= 121–35 | pmid=25922672 | doi=10.1177/2050640614559263 | pmc=4406897 | type=Review}}</ref><ref name="National Institutes of Health-2016">{{cite web|url=https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/celiac-disease/eating-diet-nutrition|title=Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Celiac Disease|date=June 2016|publisher=[[National Institutes of Health]]}}</ref> Nevertheless, buckwheat products may have gluten contamination.<ref name="Ciacci-2015" />

===Potential adverse effects===
Cases of severe [[Allergy|allergic]] reactions to buckwheat and buckwheat-containing products have been reported.<ref name="Wieslander-2001">{{cite journal| vauthors=Wieslander G, Norbäck D| title=Buckwheat allergy | journal=[[Allergy (journal)|Allergy]] | year= 2001 | volume= 56 | issue= 8 | pages= 703–4 | pmid=11488663 | type=Review | doi=10.1034/j.1398-9995.2001.056008703.x| s2cid=29968598 | doi-access=free }}</ref> Buckwheat contains [[fluorescent]] [[phototoxic]] [[fagopyrin]]s.<ref name="Eguchi-2009"/> Seeds, flour, and teas are generally safe when consumed in normal amounts,{{Quantify|date=September 2023|reason=How much is "normal"?}} but fagopyrism can appear in people with diets based on high consumption of buckwheat sprouts, and particularly flowers or fagopyrin-rich buckwheat extracts.<ref name="Benković-2015">{{cite journal|pmid=26024291|year=2015|last1=Benković|first1=E. T|title=Fagopyrins and Protofagopyrins: Detection, Analysis, and Potential Phototoxicity in Buckwheat|journal=[[Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry]]|volume=63|issue=24|pages=5715–24|last2=Kreft|first2=S|doi=10.1021/acs.jafc.5b01163|type=Review}}</ref> Symptoms of fagopyrism in humans may include skin [[inflammation]] in sunlight-exposed areas, cold sensitivity, and tingling or numbness in the hands.<ref name="Benković-2015" />

==Culinary use==
{{See also|List of buckwheat dishes}}
{{more citations needed section|date=December 2015}}
[[File:Buckwheat Flour (4107890675).jpg|thumb|Buckwheat flour]]
[[File:Buckwheat and products from it 01.jpg|Buckwheat (left), buckwheat flakes (fast cooking) (right), and crispbread made of buckwheat flour.|thumb]]
The fruit is an [[achene]], similar to [[sunflower seed]], with a single seed inside a hard outer [[Hull (botany)|hull]]. The starchy [[endosperm]] is white and makes up most or all of buckwheat [[flour]]. The seed coat is green or tan, which darkens buckwheat flour. The hull is dark brown or black, and some may be included in buckwheat flour as dark specks. The dark flour is known as ''blé noir'' (black wheat) in French, along with the name ''sarrasin'' ([[saracen]]). Similarly, in Italy, it is known as ''grano saraceno'' (saracen grain).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Grano Saraceno|url=https://www.deliciousitaly.com/lombardia-food-wine/grano-saraceno}}</ref> The grain can be prepared by simple dehulling, milling into [[farina (food)|farina]], to whole-grain flour or to white flour. The grain can be fractionated into starch, germ and hull for specialized uses.

Buckwheat [[groats]] are commonly used in western Asia and eastern Europe. The [[porridge]] was common, and is often considered the definitive [[peasant]] dish. It is made from [[roast]]ed groats that are cooked with [[broth]] to a texture similar to rice or [[bulgur]]. The dish was taken to America by Jewish, Ukrainian, Russian, and [[Polish people|Polish]] [[immigrant]]s who called it ''[[kasha]]'', as it is known today, who mixed it with [[pasta]] or used it as a filling for [[cabbage rolls]] (stuffed cabbage), [[knish]]es, and [[blintz]]es. Groats were the most widely used form of buckwheat worldwide during the 20th century, eaten primarily in [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]], Russia, [[Ukraine]], [[Belarus]], and [[Poland]], called ''[[grechka]]'' (Greek [grain]) in Belarusian, Ukrainian and Russian languages.

Buckwheat [[noodle]]s have been eaten in [[Tibet]] and northern China for centuries, where the growing season is too short to raise wheat. A wooden press is used to press the [[dough]] into hot boiling water when making buckwheat noodles. Old presses found in Tibet and [[Shanxi]] share the same basic design features. The Japanese and Koreans may have learned the process of making buckwheat noodles from them.

Buckwheat [[noodle]]s play a major role in the cuisines of Japan (''[[soba]]'')<ref name="Belton-2002">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NRMdXx8fC8kC&q=soba+Japan&pg=PA138 |author=P. S. Belton |author2=John Reginald Nuttall Taylor |title=Pseudocereals and Less Common Cereals: grain properties and utilization potential |publisher=[[Springer Publishing]] |year=2002 | page=138 |isbn=978-3-540-42939-5 }}</ref> and Korea (''[[naengmyeon]]'', ''[[makguksu]]'' and ''memil guksu''). ''Soba'' noodles are the subject of deep cultural importance in Japan. The difficulty of making noodles from flour with no gluten has resulted in a traditional art developed around their manufacture by hand. A jelly called ''[[memilmuk]]'' in Korea is made from buckwheat [[starch]].

Noodles also appear in Italy, with ''pasta di grano saraceno'' in [[Apulia]] region of Southern Italy and ''[[pizzoccheri]]'' in the [[Valtellina]] region of Northern Italy.

Buckwheat [[pancake]]s are eaten in several countries. They are known as buckwheat ''[[blini]]'' in Russia, ''[[kaletez|galettes bretonnes]]'' in France, ''[[ploye]]s'' in [[Acadia]], ''[[poffertjes]]'' in the Netherlands, ''boûketes'' in the [[Wallonia]] region of Belgium, ''kuttu ki puri'' in India and ''kachhyamba'' in Nepal. Similar pancakes were a common food in American pioneer days.<ref name="Oliver-2005">{{cite book|author=Sandra Louise Oliver|title=Food in Colonial and Federal America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fvMr83ZmMCIC&pg=PA164|date=1 January 2005|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|isbn=978-0-313-32988-3|page=164}}</ref> They are light and airy when baked. The buckwheat flour gives the pancakes an earthy, mildly mushroom-like taste.

Yeasted patties called ''hrechanyky'' are made in Ukraine.

Buckwheat is a permitted sustenance during fasting in several traditions. In India, on [[Hindu]] fasting days ([[Navaratri]], [[Ekadashi]], [[Krishna Janmashtami|Janmashtami]], [[Maha Shivaratri]], etc.), fasting people in northern states of India eat foods made of buckwheat flour. Eating cereals such as [[wheat]] or [[rice]] is prohibited during such fasting days.  While strict Hindus do not even drink water during their fast, others give up cereals and [[salt]] and instead eat non-cereal foods such as buckwheat (''kuttu''). In the Russian Orthodox tradition, it is eaten on the St. Philip fast.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://orthochristian.com/125909.html |title = What to Eat During the Fast|website=Orthodox Christianity.com|access-date=1 October 2021}}</ref>

[[Buckwheat honey]] is dark, strong and aromatic. Because it does not complement other honeys,  it is normally produced as a [[monofloral honey]].

<gallery align="center">
Japanese Zaru Soba02.jpg|[[Soba]] [[noodles]] made from buckwheat flour
Kuttu Pakoras from India.jpg|''Kuttu ke [[Pakora|pakore]]'', a snack made from buckwheat flour, India
Chalamthang 7.jpg|Buckwheat bread (roti) with potato curry and sour curd, [[Sikkim]], [[India]]
File:Гречневая_каша.jpg|[[Grechka]] of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus
Esno4Wkmana_jul_2014_Cassnam_066.jpg|''[[Pizzoccheri]]'', the Northern Italian pasta made with buckwheat 
</gallery>

== Beverages ==
[[File:Buckwheat Tea.JPG|thumb|Black buckwheat tea (黑苦荞茶) produced in Sichuan Province, China]]

=== Tea ===
[[Buckwheat tea]], known as  ''kuqiao-cha'' (苦荞茶) in China, ''memil-cha'' ({{lang|ko|메밀차}}) in Korea and ''soba-cha'' ({{lang|ja|蕎麦茶}}) in Japan, is a tea made from roasted buckwheat.<ref name="Kim-2015">{{Cite news|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/10/10-strange-and-wonderful-korean-teas.html|title=10 Strange and Wonderful Korean Teas|last=Kim|first=Dakota|date=22 October 2015|work=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]|access-date=27 January 2017}}</ref>

=== Beer ===
In recent years, buckwheat has been used as a substitute for other grains in [[gluten-free beer]]. Although it is not an actual cereal (being a pseudocereal), buckwheat can be used in the same way as [[barley]] to produce a [[malt]] that can form the basis of a [[mashing|mash]] that will brew a [[beer]] without [[gliadin]] or [[hordein]] (together [[gluten]]) and therefore can be suitable for [[coeliac disease|coeliacs]] or others sensitive to certain [[glycoproteins]].<ref>{{cite web
| author=Carolyn Smagalski
| year = 2006
| url = http://www.glutenfreebeerfestival.com
| title = Gluten Free Beer Festival
| website=glutenfreebeerfestival.com
| access-date=1 October 2021
}}

</ref>

=== Whisky ===
{{Main|Buckwheat whisky}}Buckwheat whisky is a type of [[Distilled beverage|distilled alcoholic beverage]] made entirely or principally from buckwheat. It is produced in the [[Brittany]] region of [[France]] and in the [[United States]].

=== Shōchū ===
Buckwheat {{Nihongo||焼酎|[[shōchū]]}} is a Japanese distilled beverage produced since the 16th century. The taste is milder than barley shōchū.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

== Upholstery filling ==
[[File:Buckwheat hulls.jpg|thumb|right|Buckwheat hulls]]
Buckwheat hulls are used as filling for a variety of [[upholstery|upholstered]] goods, including [[pillow]]s. The hulls are durable and do not insulate or reflect heat as much as synthetic filling. They are sometimes marketed as an alternative natural filling to feathers for those with allergies. However, medical studies to measure the health effects of pillows manufactured with ''unprocessed'' and ''uncleaned'' hulls concluded that such buckwheat pillows do contain higher levels of a potential allergen that may trigger [[asthma]] in susceptible individuals than do new synthetic-filled pillows.<ref>{{cite journal
| author=Chein Soo Hong
| author2=Hae Sim Park
| author3=Seung Heon Oh
| name-list-style=amp
| title=Dermatophagoides Farinae, an Important Allergenic Substance in Buckwheat-Husk Pillows
| journal=[[Yonsei Medical Journal]]
| date=December 1987
| volume=28
| issue=4
| pages=274–281
| url=http://www.eymj.org/Synapse/Data/PDFData/0069YMJ/ymj-28-274.pdf
| doi=10.3349/ymj.1987.28.4.274
| pmid=3439196}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
| title=Endotoxin and House Dust Mite Allergen Levels on Synthetic and Buckwheat Pillows
| author1=Hae-Seon Nam |author2=Choon-Sik Park |author3=Julian Crane |author4=Rob Siebers
| journal=Journal of Korean Medical Science
| year=2004
| volume=19
| pages=505–508
| issn=1011-8934
| issue=4
| doi=10.3346/jkms.2004.19.4.505
| pmc=2816881
| pmid=15308838}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Food|Plants|Agriculture}}
<!-- alphabetical order please [[WP:SEEALSO]] -->
<!-- please add a short description [[WP:SEEALSO]], via {{subst:AnnotatedListOfLinks}} or {{Annotated link}} -->
* {{Annotated link |List of buckwheat dishes}}
* {{Annotated link |Eriogonum|''Eriogonum''}}

{{-}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{EB1911 poster|Buckwheat}}
* {{Commons category inline|Fagopyrum esculentum|''Fagopyrum esculentum'' (Buckwheat)}}

{{Cereals|state = collapsed}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q132734}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Buckwheat| ]]
[[Category:Crops originating from Asia]]
[[Category:Flora of China]]
[[Category:Fagopyrum]]
[[Category:Pseudocereals]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Conrad Moench]]