Buckwheat flour
Flour from buckwheat, which is not a cereal and contains no gluten: used for pizzoccheri and Japanese soba.
Buckwheat flour is flour milled from the seeds of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum); it is used for Italian pizzoccheri and Japanese soba noodles. Buckwheat is not a cereal but a plant of the knotweed family, which is why it is called a pseudocereal. It ripens in a short, cool summer and grows on poor soils; it is cultivated in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine and Poland, as well as in China and Japan. For flour the seeds are hulled and ground, giving a grey-brown flour with an earthy, nutty taste.
Buckwheat contains no gluten, so dough made from pure buckwheat flour is brittle and does not hold its shape well. Per 100 g it provides about 12 g of protein and about 10 g of fibre (USDA FoodData Central); buckwheat protein is richer in lysine than wheat protein, and the grain also contains the flavonoid rutin.
In pasta, buckwheat flour is usually mixed with wheat flour. This is how pizzoccheri are made: short flat ribbons from the Valtellina valley in Lombardy, protected in the EU as the geographical indication Pizzoccheri della Valtellina (PGI). They are boiled with potatoes and cabbage and served with melted butter and cheese. Japanese soba is often made with 8 parts buckwheat to 2 parts wheat flour, and there is also soba from pure buckwheat. These and similar types are covered in Pasta from other flours and gluten-free pasta.
Beyond pasta, buckwheat flour goes into pancakes, Breton galettes in France, breads and baking.
Pure buckwheat flour is gluten-free, but it is easily contaminated with wheat at the mill. In the EU, "gluten-free" may be used only below 20 mg/kg (Regulation (EU) No 828/2014), and pizzoccheri and most soba contain wheat. Buckwheat is not among the 14 mandatory EU allergens, but in Japan it must be labelled as one.
Facts
| Raw material | Hulled seeds of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) |
|---|---|
| Country | Ukraine, Poland, China, Japan; in pasta, Italy (Valtellina) |
| Main use | Pizzoccheri, soba, pancakes, galettes, bread |
Noodles
In the Noodles topic, buckwheat flour is the base of Japanese soba. Under Japanese rules fresh noodles called soba must contain at least 30 % buckwheat flour, the rest usually wheat; the voluntary JAS standard for dried soba requires 40 %, or 50 % for the upper grade. Buckwheat has no gluten protein, but in Japan it is a mandatory allergen on labels.
How it connects to Pasta
Buckwheat flour ← contains ← Pasta from other flours and gluten-free pasta → kind of → 🍝 Pasta
How it connects to Noodles
Buckwheat flour ← made from ← 🍜 Noodles
Links
- What is made from it
- Soba, Buckwheat noodles, 🍜 Noodles
- Where it is found
- Pizzoccheri, Pizzoccheri della Valtellina, Moro Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP, Gastroval Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP, Pastai Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP, Rustichella d'Abruzzo Tortiglioni al Grano Saraceno Senza Glutine Bio, Leonardo Carassai Fettuccine Grano Saraceno e Mais, ALB-GOLD Bio Buchweizen Fusilli, ALB-GOLD Bio Buchweizen Spaghetti, ALB-GOLD Bio Buchweizen Penne
and 36 more
🧈 Pizzoccheri alla valtellinese, Moro Pasta con grano saraceno, Moro Legumé, Bosco Pasta Secca, Pasta from other flours and gluten-free pasta, ALB-GOLD Bio Glutenfreie Pasta, Moro Pasta, Gastroval, Gastroval Valtellerie, Rustichella d'Abruzzo Pizzoccheri, Moro Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP Tagliatella, Moro Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP Tagliatella Steso, Moro Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP Gnocchetto, Moro Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP Bio, Moro Fidelin con Grano Saraceno, Moro Fusilli con Grano Saraceno, Moro Pennette con Grano Saraceno, Moro Lasagne con Grano Saraceno, Moro Legumé, Bosco Pasta Fresca, Bosco Gnocchetti con Grano Saraceno, Bosco Pasta per Lasagne Rustiche, Bosco Pizzoccheri a Matassa, Bosco Pizzoccheri a Nido, Bosco Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP, Bosco Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP Freschi, Bosco Pizzoccheri di Bormio, Bosco Pizzoccheri Freschi, Bosco Pizzoccheri Laminati, Bosco Taiadin Freschi ai 5 Cereali, Bosco Tortelli Freschi Bresaola e Bitto, Bosco Tortelli Valtellinesi ai Funghi Porcini, Pastai Le Paste Lisce Speciali, Leonardo Carassai Linea Vegan, Rustichella d'Abruzzo Senza Glutine Biologica, Pastai Le Specialità Ripiene - Part of
- Pasta ingredients and composition
- In other topics
- 🍯 Buckwheat honey, Buckwheat
Frequently asked questions
What do English-speaking shops call buckwheat flour, and is it related to wheat?
It is simply buckwheat flour, milled from hulled seeds; buckwheat is a plant of the knotweed family, not a wheat.
Is it true that pizzoccheri and soba are made from buckwheat alone?
No. Pizzoccheri mix buckwheat with wheat flour, and most soba also contains wheat.
Where is buckwheat grown, and what flour does it give?
In Eastern Europe, including Ukraine and Poland, China and Japan; hulled and ground, it gives grey-brown flour with an earthy, nutty taste.
Which French dishes use buckwheat flour?
Buckwheat flour goes into Breton galettes, as well as pancakes, breads and baking.
How much wheat flour does soba contain?
Soba is often 8 parts buckwheat to 2 parts wheat flour, and pure buckwheat soba also exists.
Recipes
What to read next
- Moro Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP — Dry PGI pizzoccheri by Pastificio di Chiavenna from wholegrain buckwheat flour and durum wheat semolina: tagliatella, steso, gnocchetto and an organic version.
- 🧈 Pizzoccheri alla valtellinese — A dish from Teglio in the Valtellina valley: buckwheat pizzoccheri boiled with potatoes and cabbage, layered with cheese and dressed with butter fried with garlic.
- Leonardo Carassai Fettuccine Grano Saraceno e Mais — Leonardo Carassai Fettuccine Grano Saraceno e Mais: ribbon-shaped dry pasta by Leonardo Carassai (Leonardo Carassai Linea Vegan range); ingredients: organic buckwheat flour 50%, organic maize flour 50%.
- Buckwheat noodles — Buckwheat noodles are noodles whose main flour is buckwheat; the best known is Japanese soba, but there are also Chinese hele and Italian pizzoccheri. Pure buckwheat has no gluten, so wheat is usually added.
- Moro Pasta — The brand of Pastificio di Chiavenna, a pasta maker in Valchiavenna, Lombardy, founded in 1868, which produces Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP and pasta with buckwheat and rye flour.
Similar
Red lentil flour · Barley flour · Chickpea flour · Wheat flour · Maize flour · Spelt