Buckwheat flour
Flour from buckwheat, which is not a cereal and contains no gluten: used for pizzoccheri and Japanese soba.
Buckwheat flour is flour milled from the seeds of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum); it is used for Italian pizzoccheri and Japanese soba noodles. Buckwheat is not a cereal but a plant of the knotweed family, which is why it is called a pseudocereal. It ripens in a short, cool summer and grows on poor soils; it is cultivated in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine and Poland, as well as in China and Japan. For flour the seeds are hulled and ground, giving a grey-brown flour with an earthy, nutty taste.
Buckwheat contains no gluten, so dough made from pure buckwheat flour is brittle and does not hold its shape well. Per 100 g it provides about 12 g of protein and about 10 g of fibre (USDA FoodData Central); buckwheat protein is richer in lysine than wheat protein, and the grain also contains the flavonoid rutin.
In pasta, buckwheat flour is usually mixed with wheat flour. This is how pizzoccheri are made: short flat ribbons from the Valtellina valley in Lombardy, protected in the EU as the geographical indication Pizzoccheri della Valtellina (PGI). They are boiled with potatoes and cabbage and served with melted butter and cheese. Japanese soba is often made with 8 parts buckwheat to 2 parts wheat flour, and there is also soba from pure buckwheat. These and similar types are covered in Pasta from other flours and gluten-free pasta.
Beyond pasta, buckwheat flour goes into pancakes, Breton galettes in France, breads and baking.
Pure buckwheat flour is gluten-free, but it is easily contaminated with wheat at the mill. In the EU, "gluten-free" may be used only below 20 mg/kg (Regulation (EU) No 828/2014), and pizzoccheri and most soba contain wheat. Buckwheat is not among the 14 mandatory EU allergens, but in Japan it must be labelled as one.
Facts
| Raw material | Hulled seeds of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) |
|---|---|
| Country | Ukraine, Poland, China, Japan; in pasta, Italy (Valtellina) |
| Main use | Pizzoccheri, soba, pancakes, galettes, bread |
How it connects to Pasta
Buckwheat flour ← contains ← Pasta from other flours and gluten-free pasta → kind of → 🍝 Pasta
Links
- Where it is found
- Pizzoccheri, Pizzoccheri della Valtellina, Moro Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP, Gastroval Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP, Pastai Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP, Rustichella d'Abruzzo Tortiglioni al Grano Saraceno Senza Glutine Bio, Leonardo Carassai Fettuccine Grano Saraceno e Mais, ALB-GOLD Bio Buchweizen Fusilli, ALB-GOLD Bio Buchweizen Spaghetti, ALB-GOLD Bio Buchweizen Penne
and 36 more
🧈 Pizzoccheri alla valtellinese, Moro Pasta con grano saraceno, Moro Legumé, Bosco Pasta Secca, Pasta from other flours and gluten-free pasta, ALB-GOLD Bio Glutenfreie Pasta, Moro Pasta, Gastroval, Gastroval Valtellerie, Rustichella d'Abruzzo Pizzoccheri, Moro Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP Tagliatella, Moro Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP Tagliatella Steso, Moro Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP Gnocchetto, Moro Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP Bio, Moro Fidelin con Grano Saraceno, Moro Fusilli con Grano Saraceno, Moro Pennette con Grano Saraceno, Moro Lasagne con Grano Saraceno, Moro Legumé, Bosco Pasta Fresca, Bosco Gnocchetti con Grano Saraceno, Bosco Pasta per Lasagne Rustiche, Bosco Pizzoccheri a Matassa, Bosco Pizzoccheri a Nido, Bosco Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP, Bosco Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP Freschi, Bosco Pizzoccheri di Bormio, Bosco Pizzoccheri Freschi, Bosco Pizzoccheri Laminati, Bosco Taiadin Freschi ai 5 Cereali, Bosco Tortelli Freschi Bresaola e Bitto, Bosco Tortelli Valtellinesi ai Funghi Porcini, Pastai Le Paste Lisce Speciali, Leonardo Carassai Linea Vegan, Rustichella d'Abruzzo Senza Glutine Biologica, Pastai Le Specialità Ripiene - Part of
- Pasta ingredients and composition
Frequently asked questions
Does buckwheat flour contain gluten?
Buckwheat itself has no gluten: it is not a cereal. But the flour may pick up traces of wheat at the mill, so people with coeliac disease should choose packs labelled "gluten-free", which in the EU means no more than 20 mg of gluten per kilogram.
Is it true that pizzoccheri and soba are always gluten-free?
No, that is a myth. Pizzoccheri mix buckwheat with wheat flour, and most soba also contains wheat. Only soba made from pure buckwheat and labelled accordingly is gluten-free.
Why is buckwheat flour mixed with wheat flour?
Without gluten, pure buckwheat dough is brittle and tears when rolled and boiled. Wheat flour adds gluten that binds the dough, while buckwheat gives colour and a nutty taste.
Recipes
What to read next
- Moro Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP — Dry PGI pizzoccheri by Pastificio di Chiavenna from wholegrain buckwheat flour and durum wheat semolina: tagliatella, steso, gnocchetto and an organic version.
- 🧈 Pizzoccheri alla valtellinese — A dish from Teglio in the Valtellina valley: buckwheat pizzoccheri boiled with potatoes and cabbage, layered with cheese and dressed with butter fried with garlic.
- Leonardo Carassai Fettuccine Grano Saraceno e Mais — Leonardo Carassai Fettuccine Grano Saraceno e Mais: ribbon-shaped dry pasta by Leonardo Carassai (Leonardo Carassai Linea Vegan range); ingredients: organic buckwheat flour 50%, organic maize flour 50%.
- Moro Pasta — The brand of Pastificio di Chiavenna, a pasta maker in Valchiavenna, Lombardy, founded in 1868, which produces Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP and pasta with buckwheat and rye flour.
- Gastroval Pizzoccheri della Valtellina IGP — Dry PGI pizzoccheri by Gastroval of Albosaggia: pasta of wholegrain buckwheat flour and durum wheat, extruded, rolled and dried.
Similar
Red lentil flour · Barley flour · Chickpea flour · Spelt · Maize flour · Emmer
Sources
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 on gluten-free claims (EUR-Lex)
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers (EUR-Lex)
- eAmbrosia — Pizzoccheri della Valtellina (PGI)
- USDA FoodData Central — Buckwheat flour, whole-groat