Small history

Buckwheat

Buckwheat belongs to the same family as sorrel and rhubarb. It is not technically a cereal from the botanical point of view.

History
Buckwheat originated in Central Asia (Siberia and Northern China). In the Middle Ages, it arrived in Europe. The Saracens, or Moors, for whom buckwheat was a staple food, introduced it into Europe during the Crusades. It arrived in France in the 15th century, where it became particularly popular in the northwest (Brittany).

Sarrasin is a rustic plant that does well in poor soil, requiring little fertilizer to grow quickly. It is ideal for organic agriculture because it is very resistant and does not require the use of herbicides. One interesting fact is that the grains do not all ripen at the same time.

Today buckwheat is grown in damp temperate climates, for example in Russia, Poland, Canada, Japan and France (Brittany).