Description and peculiarities of making buckwheat flour. Nutritional value, complex of vitamins and minerals, benefits and harms to the body, use in cooking. Product history and non-food uses.
Buckwheat flour is a food product made by grinding buckwheat grains. Color - beige, light with a brownish tint, brown; smell - fresh, nutty; taste - with bitterness; texture - free flowing. The sizes of individual particles are from 60 to 300 microns, heterogeneity of the structure is allowed. The culture refers to cereals conditionally and is considered pseudo-grain, that is, there is no gluten in buckwheat flour. Due to this property, the product is considered universal, it can be introduced into low-calorie and therapeutic diets.
How is buckwheat flour made?
Interestingly, during harvesting, a separate method is used to make buckwheat flour. That is, first, a mower passes through the field, which mows buckwheat like hay. The rolls are left lying on the field, then transported to an intermediate store, where they are dried before threshing.
Buckwheat flour production consists of several stages: cleaning, fractionation, moistening, tempering (moisture distribution throughout the grain evenly in special devices), heat treatment (at a temperature of 160-190 ° C), cooling, peeling, sorting and threshing.
First, the dried stems are fed to a stone collector, where mineral impurities are removed, and then passed through a magnetic shield. When cleaning and raking the rolls, metal dust particles may have entered the feedstock. Impurities are separated using an air sieve separator, and the grain is passed through a sieve and sorted into fractions.
The grain for the preparation of buckwheat flour is moistened to 30%, it is tempered for 8 hours and briefly ignited - no more than 2 minutes. Cooled by blowing and sent to a roller peeling machine. The husk is sifted out on a separator. To improve the quality of raw materials and obtain buckwheat flour corresponding to GOST 31645-2012, husk separation is carried out in two stages, passing through an aspirator (blower separator).
A roller mill is used for grinding. To obtain a homogeneous structure, grinding is carried out in several stages. At intermediate raw materials are passed through a sieve. Large particles are sent to the mill again. All processes are now fully automated. The final product yield is 70-78%.
How to make buckwheat flour at home
- The groats are carefully sorted out, washed several times in running water, poured into a coarse-grained sieve.
- Dry by spreading in a single layer on paper towels that absorb moisture. Germination of grains is long, however, if the lining is not changed 1-2 times, the raw material may rot.
- Calcined in a dry frying pan for 7-8 minutes, stirring constantly so as not to burn. Crackling indicates readiness.
- Dried on a baking sheet at room temperature, covered with gauze or linen towel to cool evenly.
- To grind grain into buckwheat flour at home, you can use a coffee grinder, blender, or home grinder. Be sure to sift to separate large particles and saturate with oxygen.
Store buckwheat flour in a dry sealed container in a dark place. It is desirable that the ambient temperature does not exceed 25 ° C.
Re-sieving is necessary before cooking. While the grind is in the jar, it “cakes”, thickens, becomes heavy, which further negatively affects the quality of baked goods.
The composition and calorie content of buckwheat flour
In the photo, buckwheat flour
The product is considered dietary not because of its low nutritional value - these parameters are approximately the same for different types of grinds. It was classified as a healthy food due to the presence of complex slow carbohydrates - thanks to them, even with overeating, rapid weight gain does not occur.
The calorie content of buckwheat flour is 353 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Proteins - 13.6 g;
- Fat - 1.2 g;
- Carbohydrates - 71.9 g;
- Dietary fiber - 2.8 g;
- Water - 9 g.
Vitamins per 100 g:
- Vitamin B1, thiamine - 0.4 mg;
- Vitamin B2, riboflavin - 0.18 mg;
- Vitamin B4, choline - 54.2 mg;
- Vitamin B5, pantothenic acid - 0.44 mg;
- Vitamin E, alpha tocopherol - 0.3 mg;
- Vitamin K, phylloquinone - 7 mcg;
- Vitamin PP - 6.3 mg;
- Niacin - 3.1 mg
Macronutrients per 100 g:
- Potassium, K - 130 mg;
- Calcium, Ca - 42 mg;
- Magnesium, Mg - 48 mg;
- Sodium, Na - 3 mg;
- Phosphorus, P - 250 mg.
Microelements per 100 g:
- Iron, Fe - 4 mg;
- Selenium, Se - 5.7 μg.
Buckwheat flour contains 10 essential amino acids and 8 - nonessential, with a predominance of arginine, leucine, glutamic and aspartic acids. It contains chiroinositol, which normalizes blood pressure and the functioning of the endocrine system.
It is enough to eat 100 g of the product for the body to receive 25% of the daily value of fiber necessary to support immunity. To burn the energy that comes with such an amount of product, it is enough to jump 150 times, run up the stairs for 20 minutes or walk for 1, 5 hours at a pace that is convenient.
The benefits of buckwheat flour
The glycemic index of buckwheat flour is relatively low - 54 units. This allows the grind to be used in the diet of people with diabetes. It is also important that after heat treatment the GI does not increase.
The beneficial properties of buckwheat flour are determined by its rich vitamin and mineral composition. Let's consider them in more detail:
- Reduces clotting.
- Normalizes blood pressure without reducing the overall tone of the body.
- Improves blood circulation and accelerates the delivery of oxygen to tissues and organs. Relieves vasospasm.
- It has antioxidant properties and isolates free radicals traveling both in the intestinal lumen and in the bloodstream.
- Helps withstand aggressive UV radiation.
- Strengthens bone and cartilage tissue.
- Improves the quality of skin, hair and nails.
- Helps to shape the muscles of the desired volume.
- Reduces the risk of gallstones and urolithiasis.
- Normalizes the production of bile and improves the conductivity of the bile ducts.
- It has a mild diuretic effect.
Buckwheat baking not only does not cause weight gain, of course, if you avoid overeating, but also helps to maintain body weight at the same level. The cholesterol level remains stable, the digestive organs are not overloaded.
Interestingly, buckwheat flour stimulates appetite, so it is recommended to include dishes from it in the diet at high temperatures that cause intoxication. At this time, "a piece does not go down the throat", which makes it difficult for a weakened body to cope with the disease. The product with a balanced vitamin and mineral complex accelerates recovery and helps with rehabilitation.
The benefits of buckwheat flour are not limited to the above properties. Due to the high amount of dietary fiber, the supplement in the menu improves bowel function, strengthens muscle fibers responsible for contractility. It should be noted the low allergenicity of the product, which is why it can be introduced as the first complementary food.
Read more about the benefits of soy flour
Contraindications and harm of buckwheat flour
Intolerance to this product was noted in isolated cases. Cases from medical practice were described when negative reactions of the body appeared to the flowering of pseudo-cereals - hay fever and conjunctivitis, but not to porridge and flour from cereals. But still, if you are allergic to a plant, you should introduce a new product into the diet with caution or refuse it.
The use of buckwheat flour brings harm in acute gastroenterocolitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative bleeding and acute pancreatitis, that is, in conditions during which you need to temporarily completely stop eating or adhere to special diets - dairy or vegetable.
Buckwheat flour recipes
Until the 10th century in Russia, no one thought about what to cook from buckwheat flour. At that time, buckwheat was considered one of the most popular dishes. They were sold at fairs, taken on the road, used as a snack or a full-fledged meal.
Since the grinding of buckwheat does not contain gluten, when baking it is combined with any flour that contains it. But when preparing desserts, additional bulk ingredients are not required to be added.
Buckwheat flour recipes:
- Gingerbread … Buckwheat flour, 200 g, sifted, mixed with sugar - 15 g, soda on the tip of a knife, grated ginger - 1.5 cm of root. Stir in 1 egg and 100 g of melted butter. Dissolve in half a glass of milk 50 g of light and 100 g of dark molasses and also pour into the dough. Mix well. The oven is heated to 150 ° C. Grease the mold with sunflower oil, pour in the dough, bake for about 1 hour.
- Soba … Together, sift 2 cups of grinding buckwheat and 0.5 - wheat, add salt and dilute with water to get a dense dough that does not stick to your hands. Roll out into a thin layer, 3 mm, sprinkle with buckwheat flour, roll into a flat roll and cut into strips. Dry in the sun, spread out in one layer.
- Buckwheat bread … Pour 280 ml of water into the bowl of the bread machine, 2 tbsp. l. olive oil, pour 300 g of wheat and 100 g of buckwheat flour, 1 tsp each. dry yeast and salt, as well as 2 tsp. granulated sugar. Includes the main program.
- Bread in the oven … For kneading, you need 2 types of grinding - 260 g of wheat and 130 g of buckwheat, 1, 5 tbsp. l. baker's yeast, 30 ml of sunflower oil, better refined, odorless, 300 ml of water, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tbsp. l. Sahara. The gingerbread man is allowed to come up for 45 minutes under a cotton towel, so as not to wind up. Then a loaf is formed, laid out on a baking sheet, several cuts are made on the future top crust and baked at 200-210 ° C for 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180 ° C and bring to readiness.
- Village buckwheat … Grind buckwheat is steamed with boiling water, butter is added, salted and simmered in the oven (once in a Russian oven) for about 1 hour, until a viscous consistency is obtained. Cooled to 60 ° C. Drive in a few eggs and cool to get a thick, dense substance. Cut into pieces and fry from 2 sides until golden brown.
- Buckwheat casserole … Buckwheat flour is steamed according to the recipe described above. Drive in no more than 1 egg per 2 cups of the original product, allow to thicken. Grease a cast-iron frying pan without a handle or a mold with butter or lard, spread a layer of porridge, chopped boiled eggs, dill, chopped rye crackers. The last layer is crackers. All are sprinkled with melted butter, baked at 180-200 ° C until golden brown. When serving, add a frozen piece of butter to each serving.
- Buckwheat with liver … The preparation for this dish from buckwheat flour is prepared according to the method already described. Eggs are separately beaten with butter and salt, and onions are fried until golden brown. The boiled liver is chopped with a meat grinder or blender, the onion is mixed in. On a baking sheet greased with sunflower oil, a "pie" is formed - a layer of viscous porridge, minced meat, half of the filling, the second layer of porridge, filling. Several small pieces of butter are spread on the surface. Bake at 180-190 ° C.
See also peanut flour recipes.
Interesting facts about buckwheat flour
Interestingly, in terms of chemical composition, buckwheat is closer to rhubarb than to cereals.
Scientists have not established when buckwheat was domesticated and began to grow in Siberia and the Urals - in these regions it can still be found in the wild.
The Greek monks responsible for the Baptism of Rus appreciated the nutritional value of the culture and set about cultivating it. Therefore, among the people, it received the name "Greek groats", and they began to forget that this is a primordially Russian product.
The Europeans, who visited Russia in the 15th century, took out the seeds of the plant and began to plant and grow it, however, as fodder. The cereals were called Saracen, Turkish or pagan. Dishes from it began to be cooked closer to the 17th century, against the backdrop of another food crisis, but they did not gain popularity, even among the poor.
But when pseudo-grain began to be grown in America, it became in demand. Since the 19th century, buckwheat grinding has been used in national dishes. Bakuit pancakes with molasses or maple syrup were served in catering establishments and inns. It was from there that the new product, and not from Russia, was brought to Britain and Germany. Local housewives do not think about what to bake from buckwheat flour. In these countries, grinding is used to make biscuits. But in Slavic cuisine, it is added when baking dietary bread.
The use of buckwheat flour in traditional medicine recipes:
- With diabetes mellitus … To lower blood sugar, 1 tbsp. l. mix in 250 ml of kefir 2, 5-3, 2% fat and drink during the day. Duration of treatment is 3 months.
- With atherosclerosis … Insist for 3 hours under a lid of 3 tbsp. l. grinding in a glass of water. Poured into 1 liter of boiling water, cook for 15 minutes. You need to drink a day. Can be sweetened with honey and mixed with nut flour.
- With anemia … Dried apricots, prunes, walnuts, raisins, a little buckwheat flour are chopped and brought to a paste-like state with honey. Take within 1 month, 1 tsp. after each meal.
- For weight loss and liver cleanse … Grinding buckwheat, 2-3 tablespoons, mixed with kefir and drunk instead of breakfast on fasting days. Short-term soreness in the right side indicates that bile is draining. Contraindication - gallstone disease.
Buckwheat flour masks improve the quality of the skin, increase tone and eliminate inflammation. To cleanse and reduce sebum secretion, the grinding is diluted to a mushy state with chamomile infusion; to moisturize the face and décolleté, mix 1 tbsp. l. with plum puree, 3 tbsp. l., egg yolk and 1 tsp. honey.
Buckwheat flour can be bought without any problems - it is sold in grocery and bread departments. The cost in Russia is from 40 rubles per 1 kg, in Ukraine - from 23 hryvnia for the same amount.
Watch a video about the properties of buckwheat flour:
