Buckwheat wasn't that neat.

By Taffi Poirot
June 29, 2010

The Buckwheat wasn’t that neat.

So here we are on the flip-side of the buckwheat cooking and consumption. First, let me say that I am wondering whether the choice to get the toasted buckwheat over the “plain” was the wisest choice for a first time taste-test. But, let me say-it wasn’t all that bad either. I expected the taste to be different and I expected earthy, so that went well…but I did have to imagine myself back in time as a hunter-gatherer for a moment to get beyond the first bite.

Once I got through the first couple of bites, the taste started to grow on me. Would I eat it plain? Probably not, but I think if I added in a few vegetables and spices it could turn into a nice little side dish worth revisiting. I am not giving up, I am simply saying I need to tweak my approach a little. I must admit that I did put in a bit of my own mad science at the end…though the beginning was pretty straightforward.

At first, I prepared it according to directions with one part buckwheat to three parts water, put it on to boil and I went with that for a while. Then I tasted it and quickly decided that it needed “something”, so I added some beef stock, a bit of pepper, and a little olive oil. This helped redeem it a little, but it never quite reached the delicious stage.

Though my first acquaintance with buckwheat was not a smashing success, I think that if I change a few things next time, it will become more welcome on the menu. First, I will choose the untoasted buckwheat, then I will cook it in some sort of flavored broth, and I will add yellow onion or green onion and experiment with different spices.

In the end, I hope to develop a recipe that will be more palatable and I will pretend to be a hunter-gatherer no more.

Groovy Grains: Braving Buckwheat

By Taffi Chandler-Poirot
Owner & Administrator-www.TheBudgetQueen.com

I’ve been so bored with rice, potatoes and pasta…I decided it was due time to think outside of the box. There are so many grains out there, but since they don’t fit the mold of the commonplace side dish, people shy away from including them at the dinner table. It may seem a little daunting to try something new, especially when you’ve got picky eaters in the house, but you just might find a new favorite!
I thought it was worth a try to liven up the “starch” portion of our dinner plate, so I went on a little grain gathering adventure. I bought toasted buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, barley and spelt.



Pictured from the left: Toasted Buckwheat, Red Quinoa, Amaranth, Barley and Spelt

I know you’ve heard of barley…and no, I did not make up the rest of the names, and yes, they do exist. Promise.

So now that you know what I’ve bought, you may wonder if I am brave enough to try these grains or if they will be layered for aesthetic effect into a glass bottle time capsule forever a centerpiece. Well, though I am guilty of the pasta-in-a-glass-bottle time capsule, I have since forgiven myself and moved on. However, I assure you that amaranth-and-friends are in no danger of meeting that fate.
So, which shall I try first? I think I will try the buckwheat first, because it has a short cooking time and seems like a relatively adventurous choice. By the way, buckwheat is not a wheat, but a seed-therefore it is gluten-free! The basic cooking instructions call for one part grain to three parts liquid with the cooking time about 15-20 minutes. I got the toasted buckwheat as opposed to the plain because it is supposed to be more flavorful. I will try it in the place of rice tonight, and we’ll see how it goes…