Grains, rice & flours · Whole grains

Buckwheat groats

Triangular seeds of a rhubarb relative, eaten like a grain; roasted kasha is toasty and earthy. Gluten-free despite the name.

Also called: buckwheat, kasha, grechka, kuttu, karabuğday

5 recipes with it

Photo: Laitr Keiows, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

What it is

Buckwheat groats are the hulled, pyramid-shaped seeds of Fagopyrum esculentum, not a type of wheat. Raw groats are pale green-beige and mild; roasted groats (kasha) are reddish-brown and strongly toasty. They cook to soft, separate grains or a porridge. Buckwheat can cause allergy in some people.

Fagopyrum esculentum

How it’s used

Kasha with onions and mushrooms
Grechka porridge with butter or milk
Stuffings for cabbage rolls
Salads and grain bowls
Kuttu dishes on Hindu fast days

Characteristics

Taste: Earthy, nutty; deeply toasty when roasted.
Texture: Soft but separate grains; mushy if overcooked.
When cooked: Toast in a dry pan or coat with egg (traditional kasha) to keep grains separate, then simmer in about twice the volume of water for 10–15 minutes.
Sold as: whole, ground
Cooking uses: Commonly cooked, Suitable for boiling
Common in: Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Belarusian, Lithuanian, Japanese, French