//03: What nourishes us – an ode to buckwheat

Buckwheat +++ Buckwheat: An underappreciated grain? +++ Lately, buckwheat is becoming more and more popular again. One reason for that might be that it is known for many health benefits, also due to its lack of gluten. Buckwheat bread has seen a revival, oftentimes along with sourdough. In making bread, one can mix buckwheat flour with other flours, such as wheat, spelt or corn, or use just plain buckwheat flour (which is appropriate for gluten intolerance). When using plain buckwheat, however, specific ingredients should be added for the dough to stick together, as gluten is not present. Psyllium husk is oftentimes a popular choice here. A word to the wise: While many culinary joys call for active experimentation, buckwheat bread is exempt to that. As it lacks gluten, it needs to be prepared exactly according to the recipe, in order to avoid it from not sticking together properly.

One regionally known dish around our space is buckwheat flour cooked with hot salty water. In contrast to the simplicity of the ingredients, it provides a variety of possibilities in which way to cook, mix or combine the two of them – and so different parts of the country have different ways of preparing the very same dish.

When using buckwheat that is not milled, as the case is for flour, but rather in grains, it can be used as a healthy substitute to pasta, rice and the like. You can let your imagination run free when combining it with vegetables, oils, or even fruits. Make it salty or sweet, eat it warm or cold (as in a salad), and go for what your body desires.

+++ Assignment 03 +++ See how you can replace wheat in a common recipe, instead using buckwheat; for example in pancakes or bread. Again, buckwheat is free of gluten (“wheat glue”), the omission of which can be beneficial for health. However, it is also less sticky because of that, so you will need to use an extra ingredient such as psyllium husk to make your recipe stick together properly. But buckwheat can hold its own, also outside of being a mere replacement for other grains. Don't believe it? Here is one recipe you can try (and that we personally can't quite get enough of):

Buckwheat spread Ingredients: – 150g buckwheat – 5 tablespoons of olive oil or pumpkin seed oil – 1 onion – 2 cloves of garlic – 20-30g of nuts or seeds of your preference (e.g. walnuts, sunflower seeds,...) – Splash of lemon juice – Salt and pepper, as well as oregano, marjoram and parsley, to taste – Optional: A few vegetables of your choice, e.g. carrots, peppers, broccoli, and/or sour cream

  1. Cook 150g buckwheat in salted water, let cool.
  2. Press the garlic cloves and slice the onion, then roast both. Optionally, steam or cook vegetables as desired.
  3. Mix oil, lemon juice, roasted onion and garlic, and optionally vegetables/sour cream into the buckwheat.
  4. Puree all, spice to your heart's desire and let the spread set for at least ten minutes.
  5. Enjoy!