Fagopyrum esculentum

Fagopyrum esculentum, commonly known as buckwheat, is a plant species in the family Polygonaceae. It is a highly versatile crop, grown for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. Despite the name, buckwheat is not related to wheat, as it is not a grass; instead, buckwheat is related to knotweed, rhubarb, and sorrel.

Description

Fagopyrum esculentum is an annual plant, growing to 0.5-1 m tall. The leaves are heart-shaped and the flowers are small, pink or white, produced in clusters. The fruit is an achene, similar to sunflower seed, with a single seed inside a hard outer hull.

Cultivation and Uses

Buckwheat is a short-season crop that does well in low-fertility or acidic soils. The plant has a growing period of only 10–12 weeks and it can be grown in high latitude or northern hemisphere regions. The grain is used for the production of buckwheat flour, which can be used for making pancakes, noodles, and breads. The plant is also used as a cover crop, due to its ability to smother weeds and improve soil.

Nutrition

Buckwheat grains are rich in protein, dietary fiber, four B vitamins and several dietary minerals, with content especially high in niacin, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus. Buckwheat grain is also a source of resistant starch.

History

Buckwheat was first cultivated in Southeast Asia, possibly around 6000 BC, and from there spread to Central Asia and Tibet, and then to the Middle East and Europe. Domestication most likely took place in the western Yunnan region of China.

See Also

• Buckwheat honey
• Buckwheat tea
• Buckwheat hulls