Buckwheat, mushrooms & wakame

Did you know that buckwheat is actually a fruit kernel? Buckwheat (Fagopurum esculentum) comes from the common dock and rhubarb family, however it is often categorised as a grain. It belongs to the goosefoot species (Chenopodiaceae) that includes quinoa spinach, rhubarb, beets and sorrel. Most people would know the buckwheat flour used in American breakfast pancakes and Russian blinis, however, the lesser known buckwheat noodles are very much a part of Japanese cuisine, especially in the summer when they are served chilled over ice with wasabi and shoyu. Whole roasted buckwheat groats that have had the husk removed are called kasha. This and more gems like it can be found in my book The Healing Feeling.