Buckwheat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Common buckwheat
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Polygonaceae
Genus:	Fagopyrum
Binomial name
Fagopyrum esculentum

Buckwheat (also called common buckwheat) is a special plant. Its seeds are used a lot in cooking, almost like a cereal. But here's a fun fact: buckwheat is not a true grass. This means it's not related to wheat, even though its name sounds similar!

Buckwheat seeds are small and have three sides. They look a bit like the seeds from a beech tree. The word beech was sometimes called buck. This is how buckwheat got its name!

Instead of being a grass, buckwheat is actually related to plants like sorrel, knotweed, and rhubarb. Because its seeds are used like cereals in cooking and are full of complex carbohydrates, buckwheat is called a pseudocereal. This just means it acts like a cereal, even though it's not one.

In the 1900s, people started growing less buckwheat. This happened because new fertilizers helped other crops grow much better.

Buckwheat plants growing

Buckwheat grains (seeds)

What is Buckwheat?

Buckwheat is a plant that grows seeds. These seeds are very useful for food. Even though it has "wheat" in its name, it's not a type of wheat. Wheat is a grass, but buckwheat is not.

Buckwheat belongs to a different plant family. It's in the same family as rhubarb. This family is called Polygonaceae.

Where Does Buckwheat Grow?

Buckwheat is thought to have come from Asia. It has been grown for thousands of years. Today, it grows in many parts of the world. Countries like Russia, China, and Ukraine grow a lot of buckwheat.

It can grow well in places where other crops might struggle. This is because it doesn't need a lot of special care. It can even grow in poor soil.

What is Buckwheat Used For?

Buckwheat seeds are very versatile. People use them to make many different foods.

• Flour: The seeds can be ground into flour. This flour is used to make pancakes, noodles (like Japanese soba noodles), and bread.
• Groats: The seeds can also be eaten whole. These are called groats. They are often cooked like rice or used in porridges. In some countries, a dish called kasha is made from buckwheat groats.
• Tea: Some people make a healthy tea from roasted buckwheat.
• Hulls: Even the outer shells of the seeds, called hulls, are useful! They are sometimes used to fill pillows because they are firm and supportive.

Buckwheat is a good source of energy. It has lots of complex carbohydrates. It also contains protein and fiber, which are important for a healthy diet.

Images for kids

• 

  Buckwheat, illustration from the Japanese agricultural encyclopedia Seikei Zusetsu (1804)

• 

  Buckwheat with flowers, ripe and unripe seeds

• 

  Exhibition of Flower Festival, Taiwan

• 

  Buckwheat flour

• 

  Buckwheat (left), buckwheat flakes (fast cooking) (right), and crispbread made of buckwheat flour.

• 

  Black buckwheat tea (黑苦荞茶) produced in Sichuan Province, China

• 

  Buckwheat hulls

• 

  Field of buckwheat in Bumthang (Bhutan)

• 

  Common buckwheat in flower

• 

  Seed and withered flower of buckwheat

• 

  Buckwheat grain

• 

  Soba noodles made from buckwheat flour

• 

  Kuttu ke pakore, a snack made from buckwheat flour, India

• 

  Buckwheat bread (roti) with potato curry and sour curd, Sikkim, India

• 

  Grechka of Russia and Ukraine and Belarus

See also

In Spanish: Alforfón o trigo sarraceno para niños