herb
Buckwheat Hulls
Fagopyrum esculentum
common names
Common Buckwheat, Beech Wheat
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Approx. Cups/Lb: 13.8 cups
One pound of buckwheat hulls = 200 cubic inches = 13.8 cups = 2.9 Dry Quarts = .75 Dry Gallons
availability/processing
Our buckwheat hulls, which are triple cleaned to be dust-free, are available in 1-pound and 1/4-pound packages.
uses
Buckwheat is grown commercially to produce flour for making pastas and breads, a suitable alternative to wheat for people with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance because it is gluten-free.
The plant is also considered a late season honey crop because bees are attracted to its flowers in late summer and early autumn when other sources of nectar become scarce. It is also used as an organic cover crop to enrich the nutrient content of existing soil and to prevent erosion.
Buckwheat groats, or hulled seeds, are cooked and eaten like bulgar or porridge, while the outer seed hulls are used as stuffing material for pillows and various upholstered products.
storage tips
Store in a cabinet, cupboard or other cool, dark place, ideally in a sealed glass jar.
habitat/range
Native to central Asia, now widely cultivated in China, Russia, Canada and northeastern US.
Monterey Bay Spice Company's Buckwheat Hulls originate from the United States.
a bit of botany
Buckwheat produces a fruit referred to as an achene, which means it contains a single seed that doesn't open at maturity. Although the name of the plant implies it is a cereal grain like wheat, it isn't; it's a member of the Polygonaceae family of flowering plants that includes rhubarb and sorrel.
history and folklore
Buckwheat is a crop plant that has been cultivated throughout the northeastern and central US since colonial times, reaching a peak in the mid-1800s with a significant decline in cultivation during the 1960s. Until the plant gained popularity as a breakfast food in the 1970s, it was largely grown as a foraging food for livestock and to produce flour. When a USDA nutritional analysis of buckwheat revealed a higher amino acid concentration than most cereals, including oats, production of prepared buckwheat cereal peaked. Cultivation also increased since the grain was in high demand in Japan, where buckwheat flour is used to make soba noodles.
The flour is also used to make buckwheat pancakes as well as several international variations, including the crepe-like galettes in France and blinis (or blintzes) in Russia. In Europe, buckwheat is the source of a cereal called gretchka, more commonly known as kasha to Americans. This cereal is also used as a thickening agent and to make rice, pasta and yeast bread products. Combined with wheat or corn, buckwheat may be found in the Italian style of porridge known as polenta.
Buckwheat hulls are considered desirable stuffing material for pillows because there is less risk of exposure to allergens than pillows that contain down (feathers) or synthetic fibers. Pillows filled with buckwheat hulls also conduct and reflect less heat than those filled with synthetic materials. Used alone or combined with rice or dried herbs, buckwheat hulls are ideal for making eye and neck pillows to help ease fatigue and tense muscles.
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.