Buckwheat, buckwheat groats, kasha — it answers to any of these names)) Despite its wide popularity here, this grain was born far to the East. And it happened somewhere in the mountains of Nepal and India long before our era. Later, as Greek civilization flourished, buckwheat made its way there. And it was the inventive Greeks who gave it its current name — "Greek grain." Or "buckwheat" for short.
With the advance of technology in the twentieth century, when scientists were able to determine the composition of various foods more precisely, this grain was crowned the queen among its peers. Apparently the scientific world was so struck by its content of proteins, vitamins and trace elements.
Buckwheat shows up most often in recipes with these five products:
This grain is processed in different ways, turning into different types: whole groats, cut groats, split groats, smolenka and flour. People have learned to use it almost without waste — even the husks from the grains are used to stuff medicinal pillows.
How to choose the right buckwheat
If you want to taste real buckwheat, with all its properties preserved as much as possible, buy the kind that looks less presentable. It will be pale and plain-looking, especially compared with the bright, roasted kind. That one wasn't processed too much and stayed "alive." You can even sprout it.
How to cook buckwheat
For side dishes and porridges, buckwheat is cooked in a 1:2 ratio, where 1 is the grain and 2 is water. That is, you need to use twice as much water. Don't cover with a lid. During cooking, all the water turns to steam, leaving a fluffy porridge. Try adding a spoonful of vegetable oil to the water — you'll notice the difference.