Meet the Product: Sprouted Buckwheat Groats, Ways to Use Them

Groats are the hulled kernels of the buckwheat plant, the part left once the tough, dark rind of the seed has been taken off. Cooked and served much like rice, they are known as kasha in eastern Europe. Ours are organic, activated with water, germinated into shoots and dehydrated below 40°C, so they are crunchy straight from the pack, with a delicate, mildly nutty taste. This guide is about using them whole, and cooking them well.

Three ways to treat a groat

The same seed behaves very differently depending on how long it meets water.

1. Dry. Eat them as they are, for crunch. Sprinkle over salads, yoghurt and fruit, or mix with dried fruit, nuts and seeds as a snack.
2. Soaked. Left overnight in plant milk or water, they soften but keep a little chew. This is the easiest route to a no-cook breakfast.
3. Simmered. Gentle heat turns them into a soft porridge or a side dish in the manner of rice.

Cooking ratios and timings

For simmering, use 1 part groats to 2 parts water or stock, by volume. That means ½ cup of groats to 1 cup of liquid. Bring to the boil, turn the heat right down, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Start tasting at around 8 minutes, because they should stay tender with a little bite rather than turn to paste. Drain any liquid that is left and let them stand for a few minutes before serving.

Because the groats have already been sprouted and dried, they do not need a long cook. If you want a looser, creamier porridge, add a little more water or milk and stir towards the end. For a firmer, separate texture, use the 1 to 2 ratio, keep the lid on and resist stirring.

To bring out more flavour, toast the dry groats lightly in a dry pan for a couple of minutes first, then simmer them in vegetable broth for about 10 minutes. Finish with olive oil, lemon and herbs for a warm kasha-style bowl.

Serving cooked groats

Cooked groats are a blank canvas, much like rice. For a savoury bowl, fold them through roasted vegetables with a spoonful of tahini or a squeeze of lemon, or use them as a base under a stew. For something sweet, stir in a little cinnamon, then top with stewed fruit and chopped nuts. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for a day or two and can be eaten cold in a salad, or reheated with a splash of water.

Recipe: overnight buckwheat breakfast

Soak ½ cup sprouted buckwheat groats overnight in plant milk, covered, in the fridge. In the morning, stir and top with fruit, nuts and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup. If it has thickened too much, loosen it with a splash more milk.

More ways to use them

• Breakfast cereal. Soak overnight or add to granola.
• Salad topper. Sprinkle over salads for crunch.
• Snack or trail mix. Eat as they are or mix with dried fruit, nuts and seeds.
• Baking. Stir into granola bars, bread or cookies for texture.
• Soups and stir-fries. Add near the end of cooking so they stay crunchy.

Groats, flour and rice

Whole groats and buckwheat flour are used very differently. Britannica notes that buckwheat flour is unsatisfactory for bread and is generally used for griddle cakes, alone or mixed with wheat flour. Whole groats, by contrast, keep their shape, so they suit the jobs rice or other grains would do: a base for a bowl, a stuffing, a pilaf or a porridge. They are also a useful way to add texture to baking without changing a recipe's flour.

Buckwheat is not a cereal. It is the seed of a plant in the family Polygonaceae, which is why it is sometimes called a pseudo-cereal. The NHS lists the cereals that contain gluten as wheat, barley and rye, and buckwheat is none of them.

About the product

Our buckwheat is 100% organic sprouted buckwheat. Per 100g it contains 13.54g of protein, 9.43g of fibre and 3.26g of fat. It is naturally gluten-free, vegan and free from dairy and soy, and may contain traces of nuts and sesame seeds.

Storage

Keep the pack in a cool, dry place and reseal it well after opening. Sprouted grains absorb moisture quickly, which can cost them their crunch. Use within 3 months of opening.

Sprouted & Raw Organic Buckwheat 250g

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Sources

• Encyclopaedia Britannica: Kasha
• Encyclopaedia Britannica: Buckwheat
• USDA NRCS Plant Guide: Buckwheat
• NHS: Coeliac disease