A quick buck

It is easy and fast to grow and is also a weed suppressant, soil improver and it can be used to make gluten-free flour, so what’s not to like about buckwheat

- Sally Morgan

What is buckwheat? Smallholders and allotmenteers may associate buckwheat with a cover crop or green manure, while others may be familiar with it as a gluten-free flour that’s available through specialist outlets. Either way, it’s an interesting and versatile crop with loads of potential.

I grow buckwheat primarily as a green manure, but more recently I’ve become interested in its benefits in suppressing weeds, attracting bees and as a food crop. Despite its name, the crop is not related to cereals and it’s not a grain. It’s classed as a pseudo-grain, like quinoa.

The pyramid-shaped seed has a dark husk (hull) and a white kernel inside. It is rich in starch, protein, vitamin B and some trace minerals, plus, of course, it boasts no gluten.

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) belongs to the same family as docks, sorrel and rhubarb. It has a sprawling growth habit. Like docks, it has a tap root and brings up minerals, making it a great soil improver. It has been cultivated for thousands of years across Asia, and was introduced to North America by Dutch settlers.

A hundred years ago there were more than 1 million acres of buckwheat grown across North America, but the arrival of cheap nitrogen fertilisers meant that farmers could grow more lucrative cereals, such as corn, and it fell out of favour. However, it’s still grown in Eastern Europe, Russia and across Asia, where its seed is ground to make a flour that is used in pancakes, soba noodles and pasta. Russians are said to eat an average of 5kg a year of this staple crop, mainly in the form of grechka or porridge.

SPEEDY CROP