Buckwheat plants resemble ornamental plants.
Buckwheat flowers are colorful and bright, as opposed to those of the Graminacee which are very small. The buckwheat seeds are characterized by their typical triangular shape.
Buckwheat has ancient origins and was mainly cultivated in Siberia, Manchuria, and China. As the areas of origin of this pseudo-cereal were mainly inhabited by people of Muslim religion, buckwheat became “wheat of Saracens” – hence its name.
Index
- A pseudo-cereal with surprising nutritional properties
- The secret to prepare the best buckwheat bread
- A versatile flour, suitable for many culinary preparations
A pseudo-cereal with surprising nutritional properties
A real "superfood" - this is how this pseudo-cereal is defined, characterized by many nutritional properties beneficial to one’s health:
- It is rich in high-quality protein;
- It is a source of essential amino acids, fundamental elements for our health;
- It has a high fiber content;
- It is a good source of minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium, selenium, zinc, copper;
- It contains B vitamins;
- It has a low glycemic index;
- This pseudo-cereal is also a source of rutin, an antioxidant useful for reducing capillary fragility and permeability of blood vessels, protecting from the risk of edema.
Furthermore, buckwheat is typically milled unhulled to preserve most of its nutritional properties.
The secret to prepare the best buckwheat bread
Besides its exterior aspect, which is different from classic cereals, buckwheat is gluten free.
If on one side this characteristic is fundamental for the nutrition of people with celiac disease, on the other, it does not allow for a satisfactory bread-making process.
Bread made with buckwheat flour alone does not guarantee:
- sufficient alveolation;
- a compact and moist crumb;
This pseudo-cereal has a very limited capacity for retaining gases for leavening and does not make its starch content available to yeasts, and this has a negative result on volume and the finished baked product.
In order to obtain a more satisfying look and taste, buckwheat flour is commonly mixed with wheat flour.
A versatile flour, suitable for many culinary preparations
Buckwheat flour not only has exceptional nutritional characteristics but also great taste and smell. Its aroma recalls, on one hand, the sweet and buttery notes of hazelnut and on the other hand, the earthy and slightly bitter notes, due to the presence of flavonoids.
Moreover, as it is a very versatile flour, it can be used in many culinary preparations, both sweet and savoury.
In northern Italy, this flour is mainly used for traditional cuisine in Valtellina and Trentino, such as polenta taragna, pizzoccheri valtellinesi, sciatt, and the famous sweet cake made with buckwheat and blueberries.
To learn more about our mixes based on pseudo-grains, contact us at: info@promix.srl o +39.0871.84829
