How to cook buckwheat? A comprehensive guide for newcommers

Buckwheat is a healthy and nutritious grain mainly spread in East Asia and Europe. It is a perfect food for people who follow a diet and lead a healthy way of life. Rich in iron and fiber, buckwheat not only takes care of your health. This grain contains complex carbohydrates that give a feeling of fullness for a long time.

Breakfast, dinner, supper, or even dessert – buckwheat can be combined with various products, leaving space for your imagination. But if you are dealing with this cereal for the first time, you may need help. There are some tips you must know to cook a tasty buckwheat.

Luckily, the best buckwheat specialists are already here! Below you will find some valuable recommendations.

How long does it take to cook buckwheat?

Buckwheat cooking won’t take much time. It is a perfect food for busy people who don’t like to spend the evening in front of the stove. Just 15-20 minutes, and your buckwheat porridge is ready. What’s more, most of this time, you should do nothing but wait. Make dishes, lay the table, or watch TikTok – water and heat will do most of the work instead of you!

How to cook buckwheat groats?

There are different ways to cook buckwheat, depending on your taste preferences. The most popular way to get this porridge done is to boil the buckwheat in salted water. For this purpose you can use a stove or a multicooker. If you like a roasted flavor, fry the grain in a dry frying pan for 2-3 minutes before boiling.

You may be surprised, but buckwheat groats can be eaten raw. It is believed to be the most healthy way to cook buckwheat that preserves the valuable properties of the grain. Place the buckwheat directly into the water (2:1 ratio) and leave it for 4-5 hours or a night. If the liquid is not completely absorbed, drain it. Then add butter, salt and heat it.

How to understand when buckwheat is cooked?

When cooking buckwheat, imagine you deal with the rise. These grains have much in common when talking about the boiling process. Your buckwheat is ready if the liquid is absorbed and the grains are soft. After you turn the heat off, leave the pan for 5 minutes so that the buckwheat absorbs any remaining liquid.

How to make buckwheat taste good?

As you can guess, buckwheat doesn’t require any special cooking skills. You can easily find various recipes with this cereal on the Internet and try to join the buckwheat-lovers club.

However, there are some tips you should follow to cook a perfect porridge:

1. Wash the cereal before cooking;
2. Follow 1:2 (grain: water) proportion
3. Don’t forget to stir your buckwheat;
4. Add butter;
5. Don’t be afraid to experiment: try to combine this cereal with different ingredients and explore its taste.

Let’s finalize

If you want to cook buckwheat, you need just 4 ingredients: grains, water, butter, and salt (not always, some people prefer adding sugar). 

1. Rinse 1 cup of cereal under warm water;
2. Take a small pan and boil 2 cups of salted water;
3. When the water boils, add buckwheat, and reduce the heat;
4. Cook until the water is absorbed. It usually takes 13-18 minutes;
5. Add butter and spices.

BON APPETIT!