What is the largest variety of buckwheat - detailed description

In order for the diet to be balanced and a person to receive all the elements important for the body, the menu must include cereals. It is a rich source of minerals and vitamins. Buckwheat is one of the most popular cereals in Russia. It is not only tasty, but also a healthy product, unpretentious to grow and easy to prepare.

What is the name of the largest variety of buckwheat?

When choosing buckwheat, they are guided by the “size = quality” standard. Large buckwheat consists of whole grains and is called "kernel". During production, the fruit membrane is separated and whole grains are sorted. All that remains in the sieve after is the core.

There is buckwheat (popular name - sechka). These are kernels chopped into small pieces.

Reference! Buckwheat has been known to people for more than 5 thousand years. India and Nepal are considered to be its places of origin. As trade and navigation developed in the 15th century, the crop began to be grown in Japan and China. Later it appeared in the Caucasus and only then was popularized in Europe.

The plant has white (less often pink) flowers, consisting of 5 petals, with a bright aroma that attracts bees. Buckwheat blooms in June and produces a harvest in September. The fruits have an interesting triangular shape measuring 6*7 mm. The color of the beans is coffee green; they turn brown after roasting. Green kernel the most useful, as it contains the maximum number of valuable components and retains the ability to germinate.

Buckwheat composition:

• protein (up to 13% of the total volume);
• B vitamins;
• alimentary fiber;
• vitamins PP, E, K;
• organic acids (oxalic, malic, citric and others);
• macroelements: potassium, silicon, magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus;
• trace elements: iron, cobalt, manganese, copper, molybdenum, selenium, zinc, chromium.

Beneficial features:

• strengthens the immune system;
• improves the condition of the liver, gastrointestinal tract, and circulatory system;
• lowers high blood pressure;
• stabilizes blood sugar and cholesterol;
• removes toxins and radionuclides;
• Suitable for patients with celiac disease as it does not contain gluten.

100 g of kernels contains:

• 12.6 g protein;
• 2.7 g fat;
• 68 g carbohydrates.

Energy value - 329 kcal, while low glycemic index - 60 units. Buckwheat is allowed for consumption by people suffering from diabetes.

Varieties and types of kernels

Product quality requirements are defined by GOST R 55290-2012 “Buckwheat. General technical conditions (as amended)". According to this document, buckwheat, depending on the processing method and the quality of the final product, is divided into 4 types:

• kernel (unsteamed);
• prodel (unsteamed);
• steamed kernels (quick-cooking);
• steamed (quick-cooking).

The product is not divided into varieties, but among the kernels they are distinguished 4 varieties:

• higher;
• first;
• second;
• third.

GOST defines standards for the organoleptic characteristics of a product. So, all 4 varieties of unsteamed kernels should be cream-colored with a greenish or yellowish tint. Steamed buckwheat comes in all shades of brown. The smell and taste of the product must be characteristic, free from foreign impurities, and not be sour, bitter, musty or moldy.

Requirements for the physical and chemical characteristics of a fast-cooking core:

1. Top grade.At least 99.35% of the total mass of products must be of good quality. The permissible maximum portion of cracked kernels is no more than 2%, unhusked kernels - 0.15%, impurities - 0.3%. Organic admixture is not allowed.
2. First grade. 98.9% of cereals are good-quality raw materials, no more than 3% split kernels, 0.3% unhulled, 0.4% impurities (including organic impurities, but not more than 0.05%).
3. Second grade. 98.5% of the product is benign. In this mass, the presence of cracked grains is allowed in an amount of no more than 4%, unhulled - 0.4%, impurities - 0.5%, organic - 0.05%.
4. Third grade. Benign grains must be at least 97.2%. The presence of cracked buckwheat is allowed - no more than 5%, unhulled - 0.7%, impurities - 0.6%, including organic - 0.1%.

The moisture content of such cereals for current consumption should not exceed 14%, for long-term storage - 13%. For unsteamed kernels, this indicator is set at the following level: current consumption - 15%, long-term storage - 14%.

Important! The cooking time for all varieties is no more than 25 minutes.

Infestation and contamination of the product by pests is unacceptable. Such cereals are considered illiquid.

Steamed core of the highest and first varieties used for preparing baby food and has increased quality requirements. The presence of spoiled kernels is not allowed in it; the use of pesticides is prohibited at all stages of cultivation.

If the kernel contains more broken kernels than the permissible amount, the cereal is classified as a contaminant.

GOST characterizes impurities as follows:

1. Split Cannonballs — grains pass through a sieve, the holes of which are 1.6 * 20 mm, but do not slip through the holes of sieve No. 08.
2. Unhulled grains - kernel that is not cleared from the fruit membrane.
3. Weed impurity can be mineral (for example, earth, sand or pebbles) and organic (parts of leaves, weeds, stems, buckwheat fruit shells), contains seeds of other plants.
4. Corrupted kernels — partially or completely rotten, moldy, charred whole and pieces of buckwheat kernels.

Each batch of grain that enters production is accompanied by a certain certificate and document confirming the safety and quality of the product.

The manufacturer is obliged to put on the packaging high-quality information displaying the name of the cereal, type and variety, date of cultivation, manufacturer’s data, nutritional value and expiration dates.

Conclusion

The secret of delicious porridge, including buckwheat, lies not only in its correct preparation. First of all, it all depends on the quality of the cereal used, its freshness, and the purity of its composition. If the product is of the highest quality, the buyer will not have to spend additional time sorting. Such a kernel has grains of a standard size, which are boiled simultaneously.