Buckwheat (buckwheat) is a resilient plant-capable of growing even in cold areas and on low-fertile soils-and yet still underutilized, while valuable for nutrition and naturally gluten-free. An excellent alternative to wheat and other grains, for people allergic to the same as in cases of celiac disease.
Buckwheat, the gluten-free ‘non-wheat grain’
Despite its name, buckwheat is not a real grain but a ‘pseudo-cereal‘ -such as amaranth and quinoa, which are also gluten-free-as they do not belong to the Gramineae family (about 9,000 species including wheat, oats, barley, rye, rice, and corn), despite having nutritionally similar characteristics. What is consumed, for example, are not the seeds but the fruits-the achenes for buckwheat, the caryopses for cereals-which have an endosperm rich in starch, with an appreciable protein and fiber content present in the outer part of the fruit.
The origin of this plant can be found in China and Central Asia, but it has also spread to cold environments, especially mountainous ones (e.g., the Russia, first global producer with 71.6 K t in 2021, World Bank data). Like spelt, buckwheat is capable of adapting to infertile and marginal soils that are unsuitable for more widespread food crops. It easily lends itself to organic farming and is rich in nutrients and bioactive substances, with excellent potential for supplementing human nutrition under the banner of biodiversity. (1) With the only peculiarity of requiring special agricultural practices and technologies, at the harvest stage, because of its generally scalar ripening.
Buckwheat, botanical classification.
The scientific name for buckwheat is Fagopyrum spp. (from fagus, beech, and pyron, wheat), because of the shape of the fruit, which is similar to the beech’s beech nuts. It belongs to the family Polygonaceae and includes just under 30 species (with associated subspecies), with base chromosome number x = 8, generally diploid (2n = 16), but also tetraploid (2n = 32). Buckwheat species are divided into annuals and polyennials. The most well-known ones follow.
Annual species
- Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. It is the common buckwheat, usually referred to as buckwheat. F. esculentum ssp. ancestral is the wild common buckwheat, from which the cultivated one(F . esculentum spp. esculentum) is derived.
- Fagopyrum tataricum L. (synonym Fagopyrum suffruticosum Fr. Schmidt). It is also known as ‘Siberian buckwheat’ and is in turn distinguished into wild(F. tataricum spp. Potanini) and cultivated(F . tataricum spp. tataricum).
- Fagopyrum homotropicum Ohnishi. Native to China, from Tibet to Yunnan and Sichuan, it grows mainly in the temperate biome.
Polyannual species
- Fagopyrum cymosum Meissn. It is a domesticated plant with proven uses in pharmaceuticals and traditional Chinese medicine, also used as a feed and ornamental plant, genetically close to F. esculentum and F. tataricum.
- Fagopyrum urophyllum Gross. A woody cross-pollinated perennial shrub species belonging to the urophyllum group of the genus Fagopyrum (the other main group is cymosum, to which the above species belong). Natural populations of F. urophyllum have been classified morphologically into two distinct groups, the Dali group and the Kunming group.
Common names
The common names for buckwheat, in various areas of the planet, are different. Grecicha kulfurnaja in Russia, jawas in Pakistan, ogal in India, mild phapar in Nepal, soba in Japan, poganka in Poland, buchweizen in Germany, fagopiro in Italy, sarrasin in France. (2)
Buckwheat, nutritional values.
The nutritional values of buckwheat are worthy of special attention for those forced to follow a gluten-free diet (the only one possible for those with celiac disease) but also for the general population.
Protein
Protein in buckwheat is present in varying amounts depending on cultivar, between 8.5 percent and 18.8 percent. 12.3% the average of common buckwheat, 13.15% that of Siberian(F. tataricum. Sofi et al., 2022. V. Fig. 1). The amino acid supply is balanced, with predominance of arginine, aspartic acid, and lysine. Lysine richness increases the amino acid score (i.e. PDCAAS, Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score), compared to cereals, with higher bioavailability in the intestine.
Carbohydrates, fiber, fat
Carbohydrates. Starch is the main macronutrient in buckwheat achene (54.5 to 70%), which is an excellent source of resistant starch, the concentration of which is the highest among all pseudocereals, equaling the same cereals and legumes.
Fibers. Dietary fiber, concentrated in the integument of buckwheat, is much higher than in other pseudocereals. Their concentration varies according to the degree of milling, from about 24% in whole buckwheat to 10-11% in hulled buckwheat to 7% in semolina form.
Fats. The lipid concentration in buckwheat is low (1.5 to 3.7 percent), with a preponderance of Mono-Unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA). Predominantly palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids (88%).
Vitamins and minerals
The main vitamins contained in buckwheat are vitamins A, C, E and several B vitamins (e.g., thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine).
Minerals are present in appreciable amounts, in both categories of macroelements (e.g., phosphorus, potassium, magnesium. Iron, zinc, and manganese, however, are present in low concentrations) and trace elements.
The micronutrients in buckwheat, which are highly present in the outer fractions of the fruit, are an excellent supplement for people with celiac disease, whose gluten-free diets are often low in vitamins and minerals.
Bioactive substances and health benefits
Buckwheat is a concentrated source of bioactive compounds that include peptides with anti-microbial, hypotensive, anti-inflammatory and thus antidiabetic, anticholesterolemic, antiobesogenic and anti-tumor actions. This action is promoted by the antioxidant activity of flavonoids and phenolic acids, which also help to improve the shelf life of achenes during storage and marketing.
Rutin-a flavonoid found only in buckwheat, among pseudocereals-also helps to increase blood vessel dilation, prevent heart problems. In addition to protecting the skin from UV rays, among other benefits. Phagopyritols (particularly B1) and d-phagomine are sugars that in turn contribute to these health functions, and their concentration may increase as the achenes sprout.
Nutrition and health claims
EU Food and Feed Information Portal Database reports a single entry on buckwheat. A health claim about the role of one of its extracts in boosting the immune system, which was not authorized because it was evaluated by EFSA as general and not specific. (3)
The average energy value of buckwheat (343 Kcal/100 g) and its proximate composition suggest the possibility of using some nutrition claims, after analysis of products derived from it, such as:
- Protein source,
- Rich in fiber,
- Low-fat. (4)
Buckwheat foods
Some buckwheat foods are rooted in peoples’ cultures; others are being researched and developed, partly to meet the growing demand for gluten-free products. And so:
- pasta. Soba noodles, in the macrobiotic tradition of Japan, are made from pure organic buckwheat. Italy, Europe’s leading producer of foods for celiacs, in turn produces several formats of 100% gluten-free buckwheat pasta, often organic,
- bread, baked goods. The use of buckwheat is also growing in the production of gluten-free breads and baked goods. Recipes often include legume flours (e.g., chickpeas) and gluten-free grains or pseudo-cereals to mitigate the slightly bitter taste of buckwheat and impart structure to the product,
- snacks, breakfast cereals, meat analogues. Extrusion allows minimal alteration of the nutritional and health values of buckwheat, increasing its digestibility. Lends itself to making snacks, breakfast cereals, modified flours, textured vegetable proteins,
meat analogues and starchy products (e.g., soups, polenta), - drinks. Roasted and pulverized buckwheat achenes make a gluten-free alternative to instant barley for hot beverage alternatives to coffee. That is, infusions, enriched in rutin with the addition of flowers and the leaves of the plant (or some by-products such as peels removed during hulling, with a view to upcycling). Buckwheat malt makes it possible to make gluten-free beers, of which we note among other things the lack of supply in ‘0% alcohol‘ versions.
Traditions ‘made in Italy‘
‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina I.G.P.’ ( Protected Geographical Indication, or PGI) is a dry pasta made in the Province of Sondrio (Lombardy, North Itali), where the presence of buckwheat has been recorded since the 1600s. Their dough includes at least 20 percent buckwheat(F. esculentum), in addition to durum wheat. (5)
Polenta taragna (from ‘tarai,’ a dialect term for the long wooden stick used to ‘tare,’ that is, turn the polenta in the copper pot) is another characteristic dish of the Valtellina. A thick cream of only buckwheat with corn, gluten-free and possibly organic, whipped according to tradition at the end of cooking with butter and cheese (or with cream, pulenta n’fiù).
The Italian register of traditional food products (P.A.T.) in Italy reports buckwheat production, especially in northern Italy:
- Lombardy. Buckwheat flour, buckwheat cake,
- Piedmont. Buckwheat,
- Autonomous Province of Bolzano (Trentino-Alto Adige). Buchweizenmehl (buckwheat flour),
- Tuscany. Buckwheat/fagopiro/black wheat,
- Veneto. Buckwheat. (6)
Slow Food Presidia
Slow Food maintains 3 presidia that describe the deep-rooted and centuries-old traditional use of buckwheat in Italy:
- Valtellina (Lombardy). Siberian ‘buckwheat’(furmentùn, fraina negra in Sondrio dialect) is used to make pizzoccheri and polenta taragna(pulenta mugna, when mixed with other flours). Other dishes include sciatt and kiscioeul, a pancake and focaccia filled with cheese (usually Casera D.O.P.), (7)
- Valnerina (Umbria). Another Slow Food presidium , in Central Italy, with evidence of cultivation in medieval times for food and medicinal uses. Much consumed in the form of soup with lentils, (8)
- Terragnolo (Trentino-Alto Adige). Buckwheat, known since the 16th century by the name ‘formentom,’ is used to prepare black polenta but also fanzelto, a bread characteristic of the area that is baked in a pan with lard (9,10).
Any contraindications
Like most foods of plant origin, buckwheat has some anti-nutritional factors and ‘side effects,’ which are often outweighed by the health benefits and in some cases can be mitigated with certain technologies (e.g., fermentation, cooking) and/or combinations with other ingredients. In the specific case:
- tannins and protease inhibitors can reduce the digestibility of proteins by binding directly to them or by interfering with the action of digestive enzymes (e.g., trypsins, chemotrypsins). Both at the same time have beneficial effects, exerting positive health actions (e.g., antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic activity),
- phagopyrins can cause photosensitivity (a phenomenon known as ‘phagopyrism’) and isolated allergic reactions in predisposed individuals, as well as being laxative. (11) In turn, they exert beneficial health actions (i.e., antimicrobial, antiviral, antidiabetic).
Interim conclusions
The desirability of growing buckwheat, under an organic regime especially, deserves consideration especially in areas that are poorly suited to major cereal crops. The use of buckwheat in the production of gluten-free and plant-based foods allows its exploitation in important market segments. With the added value of nutritional properties and health benefits related to the quantity and quality of protein, amino acids, resistant starch and dietary fiber, as well as numerous bioactive compounds.
Dario Dongo and Andrea Adelmo Della Penna
Notes
(1) Sofi et al. (2022). Nutritional and bioactive characteristics of buckwheat, and its potential for developing gluten-free products: An updated overview. Food Sci. Nutr. 11:2256–2276, https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3166
(2) Ohsako & Li (2020). Classification and systematics of the Fagopyrum species. Breeding Science 70:93-100, https://doi.org/10.1270/jsbbs.19028
(3) EFSA NDA Panel (2011). Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to various food(s)/food constituent(s) and health relationships that are not sufficiently defined (…); are not referring to a function of the body (…); are related to the prevention or treatment of a disease (…); are not referring to a beneficial physiological effect (…) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2228 EFSA Journal 9(6):2228
(4) See ebook ‘1169 penis – Reg. EU 1169/11. Food news, inspections and penalties‘. II – Nutrition & Health Claims
(5) Production Specification for Pizzoccheri della Valtellina PGI. https://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/b%252F6%252Fc%252FD.37f80d6f79d799b537db/P/BLOB%3AID%3D3348/E/pdf?mode=download
(6) Italy, Ministry of Agriculture (MASAF). List of PAT (Traditional Food Products), revision 23 https://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/19693
(7) Slow Food. Buckwheat from Valtellina https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/it/arca-del-gusto-slow-food/grano-saraceno-della-valtellina/
(8) Slow Food. Buckwheat from the Valnerina valley https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/it/presidi-slow-food/grano-sareceno-della-valnerina/
(9) Slow Food. Buckwheat from Terragnolo https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/it/presidi-slow-food/grano-saraceno-di-terragnolo/
(10) Slow Food. Fanzelto https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/it/arca-del-gusto-slow-food/fanzelto/
(11) The incidence of severe allergic reactions to buckwheat can be estimated at 0.1-1 cases per 1 million people per year. Norbäck & Wieslander (2021). A Review on Epidemiological and Clinical Studies on Buckwheat Allergy. Plants 10(3):607. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030607
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Graduated in Food Technologies and Biotechnologies, qualified food technologist, he follows the research and development area. With particular regard to European research projects (in Horizon 2020, PRIMA) where the FARE division of WIISE Srl, a benefit company, participates.
