What the Buck?

What:

Buckwheat is a tricky grain. Mostly because it's not actually a grain. It is not related to wheat, nor is it considered a cereal. Technically, it's a fruit, harvested from the flower of the buckwheat plant (Fagopyrum esculentum). 

Why:
If buckwheat could make friends, it would definitely be in the same social scene as quinoa and amaranth. The three have a lot in common: all are grain impersonators which are unrelated to wheat or cereal (in fact, quinoa is a relative of spinach and swiss chard), all are gluten free, and all are fantastic sources of vegetarian protein -- particularly the amino acid lysine, which is not manufactured by our body and must be supplied through diet.

Buckwheat makes a mean breakfast: in milled form it can be the base of a hearty pancake batter...but on a rainy, windy morning like today, it's whole "grains" make for the perfect creamy, hot cereal.

How:
1/4 c of Bob's Red Mill brand buckwheat went into a bowl with 3/4 c water and was loosley covered and nuked in the microwave for 3 minutes. Use a big bowl to prevent it from bubbling over. If you use slightly less water, the result will be something that has the appearance and consistency of a sticky rice cake; slightly more, and it forms a gloopy, porridge-like consistency. For the former, stirring in some low fat milk created a creamy texture that, in my opinion, didn't need any added sweetener. The latter came out a bit slimy, and had that distinguished "so-good-for-you-it-tastes-like-cardboard" quality. It needed something to balance the texture and taste: a little brown sugar, honey, berries or raisins should do the trick. I had bananas in my kitchen, so I sliced one up as a topping and enjoyed with dash of brown sugar and a side of coffee.

The sum total of this buckwheat, banana and milk breakfast supplies you with about 350 kcals of energy. The breakdown is below:

Cream of Buckwheat Breakfast Breakdown (in calories):

1/4 c Buckwheat:  140

1 c milk: 102

1 banana: 110 
1 c instant coffee: 1

Sources: 

Berglund, D.R.. (2011, May 26). Buckwheat Production. Retrieved from http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/crops/a687w.htm

Ronzio, R. (2005). The Encycopedia of Nutrition and Good Health. New York: Checkmark Books.