Buckwheat

Buckwheat is the grain of Fagopyrum esculentum, used as a cereal although it is not a true wheat but a pseudocereal related to rhubarb and sorrel. It is unsatisfactory for the manufacture of conventional bread because it contains no gluten, but whole grains are cooked like rice and made into baked puddings, and it is also made into other products such as porridge, noodles and griddle cakes. Buckwheat is a good source of protein, niacin and vitamin B1, and because it is naturally gluten-free it is valuable in diets for coeliac disease, provided cross-contamination is avoided.