How to Use Buckwheat and its extracts?

  seminal trace...Buckwheat,Polygonum fagopyrum.5:1;10:1Extract...

   Basic Botanical Info:

 Buckwheat(Fagopyrum esculentum)
 Botanical: Polygonum fagopyrum
 Family: Polygonaceae
 Genus: Fagopyrum

 Common names:almindelig boghvede,ble noir,bokkveite,bokvete,bovete,Buchweizen,buck wheat,buckwheat,echter Buchweizen,fagopiro

 Species:
 Fagopyrum esculentum
 Fagopyrum tataricum

 Synonym(s): common buckwheat, fagopyrum, Polygonum fagopyrum; brank; beechwhea,Brank. Beechwheat. Le Ble noir. Sarrasin. Buchweizen. Heidekorm. French. Wheat. Saracen Corn.
 Synonyms Fagopyrum sagittatum Gilib., Polygonum fagopyrum L.


  Definition:
 
 Noun 1. Fagopyrum - buckwheat; in some classifications included in the genus Polygonum

 genus Fagopyrum:dicot genus, magnoliopsid genus - genus of flowering plants having two cotyledons (embryonic leaves) in the seed which usually appear at germination
 buckwheat family, family Polygonaceae, Polygonaceae - a family of plants of order Polygonales chiefly of the north temperate zone; includes the buckwheats

 Polygonum fagopyrum

 n : or member of genus Fagopyrum; annual Asian plant with clusters of small pinkish white flowers and small edible triangular seeds which are used whole or ground into flour [syn: buckwheat, Polygonum fagopyrum, Fagopyrum esculentum]

 Part Used:The fruit.
 Habitat:A native of Northern or Central Asia. Largely cultivated in West China.

 a. An annual Asian plant (Fagopyrum esculentum) having clusters of small whitish or pinkish flowers and small, seedlike, triangular fruits. b. The edible fruits of this plant, used either whole or ground into flour.
 Any of several similar or related plants.

 

 Basic Botanical Info:
 Botanical Description:
 Phytochemicals and Constituents:
 Beneficial Nutrients and Phytochemicals:
 Medicinal Action and Uses:Astringent, acrid:
 History of Buckwheat:
 Buckwheat classification:
 Buckweet Commodities:
 Other Species and Buckwheat Family:
 Research Update:Polygonum fagopyrum


   Botanical Description:
 

 The Buckwheat is not really a native plant, and when found apparently wild in this country, it is only on cultivated land, where it is grown as food for pheasants, which are very partial to it. One of its local names, 'French Wheat,' points to then recognition of the fact that it is a foreign grain.

 It is a native of Central Asia, cultivated in China and other Eastern countries as a bread-corn and was first brought to Europe from Asia by the Crusaders, and hence in France is called 'Saracen Corn.'

 It is a herbaceous plant, with a knotted stem a foot or two in height, round and hollow, generally green, but sometimes tinged with red, lateral branches growing out of the joints, which give off alternately from opposite sides, heart-shaped, or somewhat arrowshaped leaves, and from July to September, spreading panicles of numerous light freshcoloured flowers, which are perfumed. They are dimorphic, i.e. there are two forms of flowers, one with long styles and short stamens, the other with short styles and long stamens and are very attractive to bees. It is frequently cultivated in the Middle United States of Arnerica and also in Brabant as food for bees, and an immense quantity of Buckwheat honey is also collected in Russia. It gives a particularly pleasant flavour to honey.

 The nut (so-called 'seed') has a dark brown, tough rind, enclosing the kernel or seed, and is three-sided in form, with sharp angles, resembling the triangular Beech-nut, hence the name of the plant, Buckwheat, a corruption of Boek-weit, the Dutch form of the name, adopted with its culture from the Dutch, meaning 'Beech-wheat' (German Buchweizen), a translation of the Latin name Fagopyrum (Latin fagus, a beech).


 By some botanists, the Buckwheat is separated from the Polygonums, receiving the name Fagopyrum esculentum (Moench).

 The nut contains a floury endosperm, and though rarely employed in this country as human food is extensively cultivated for that purpose in Northern Europe, North America (where it also goes by the name of Indian Wheat) and in India and the East.

 Buckwheat flour is occasionally used for bread, but more frequently employed for cakes, which when baked have an agreeable taste, with a darkish, somewhat violet colour and are a national dish throughout America in the winter. They are baked on gridirons and eaten with maple syrup as breakfast cakes. The meal of Buckwheat is also baked into crumpets, which are popular among Dutch children and are said to be nutritious and easily digested.

 By the Hindus, Buckwheat, which is extensively cultivated in the Himalayas, is eaten on 'bart' or fast days, being one of the lawful foods for such occasions. Polygonum cymosum (Meism.), the Chinese perennial Buckwheat, and P. Tartaricum Ge.), the Tartary or Rough Buckwheat, also constitute an important source of flour in the East.Its young leaves are eaten as a vegetable and its stalks are used to feed cattle.

 In the Russian Army, Buckwheat groats are served out as part of the soldiers' rations and cooked with butter, tallow or hemp-seed oil. In Germany it forms an ingredient in pottage, puddings and other food.

 Beer may be brewed from the grain, and by distillation it yields an excellent spirit, in Danzig much used in the preparation of cordial waters.
 The blossoms may be used for dyeing a brown colour.

 

   Phytochemicals and Constituents:

 The leaves have been found by Schunch to contain a crystalline colouring principle (1 part in a thousand) identical with the Rutin or Rutic acid previously discovered by Weiss in the leaves of the common Rue and probably existing in the leaves of the Holly.

 The seeds contain starch, sugar, gum, and various matters soluble in alcohol. A small amount of the glucoside Indican has been found.


   Medicinal Action and Uses:Astringent, acrid:
 

 An infusion of the herb has been used in erysipelas, and a poultice made of the flour and buttermilk for restoring the flow of milk in nurses.

 The breakfast cakes are very heating, and in many people cause severe itching, (The Buckwheat used in America to-day is so refined that these symptoms are not liable to occur. - EDITOR.) felt chiefly after removing the clothing at night, with an eruption of vesicles. The faeces may become so glutinous that expulsion is difficult.


   History of Buckwheat:

 Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum'' common buckwheat, and Fagopyrum tataricum Tatar buckwheat) are plants in the genus Fagopyrum (sometimes classified as Polygonum) in the family Polygonaceae. They are often counted as grains, though unlike most grains they are not true grasses. Buckwheat is thus not related to true Wheat. Buckwheat is most likely descended from wild buckwheat, though it does not share its vine-like growth habit. Common buckwheat was domesticated and first cultivated in China. It is the world's highest elevation domesticate, being that it was either domesticated in Yunnan on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau or on the Plateau itself. Archaeological remains are rare, the oldest known in China so far date to circa 2600 BC. However, buckwheat pollen is present in Japan as early as 4000 BC suggesting domestication of this plant likely occurred earlier than has been documented archaeologically. Some researchers suggest that Buckwheat was introduced to Europe along the Silk Road. Various textual documentation suggests an introduction between AD 1300-1400.
 

 Tatar buckwheat was also domesticated in the same region. While it is unfamiliar to the West, it is still eaten in the Himalayan region today. Buckwheat is one of the few seeds consumed as flour today that does not belong to the grass family (Poaceae), and it is, thus, not actually a grain. Instead the seed is an achene, more similar to a sunflower seed, with a hard outer shell and soft innner meat. Besides the seeds, from which buckwheat flour is produced, buckwheat is also a good honey plant. In Asia, the flour is made into noodles (including soba). While in Europe it is more commonly made into buckwheat groats, often known as "kasha". Buckwheat contains rutin, a medicinal chemical, used for vascular disorders. Buckwheat pancakes, sometimes raised with yeast, are eaten in several countries. They are known as blinis in Russia, galettes in France (especially in Brittany) and ployes in Acadia. Similar pancakes were a common food in American pioneer days. They are light and foamy. The buckwheat flour gives them an agreeably earthy, mildly mushroom-like taste. In the past buckwheat cultivation was also used in orchards to increase the rate of pollination. Cultivation of buckwheat has declined sharply in the US. Over a million acres (4,000 km2) were harvested in 1918. By 1954 that had declined to 150,000 acres (600 km2), and by 1964, the last year that production statistics were gathered, only 50,000 acres (200 km2) were grown. In 1970 Russia grew an estimated 4.5 million acres (18,000 km2) of buckwheat. The name buckwheat or "beech wheat" comes from its triangular seeds, which resemble the much larger seeds of the beech nut from the beech tree, and the fact that it is used like wheat. In the 1970s and 1980s, General Mills produced a sweetened, maple-flavored breakfast cereal made from buckwheat, which was marketed under the name Buc-Wheats.

 Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum common buckwheat, and Fagopyrum tataricum Tatar buckwheat) are plants in the genus Fagopyrum (sometimes classified as Polygonum) in the family Polygonaceae. They are often counted as grains, though unlike most grains they are not true grasses. Buckwheat is thus not related to true wheat. Buckwheat is most likely descended from wild buckwheat, though it does not share its vine-like growth habit.

 Common buckwheat was domesticated and first cultivated in southwest Asia, possibly around 6000 BC, and from there spread westwards to Europe and eastwards to Central Asia and then into Tibet and China. It is documented in Europe in the Balkans by at least the Middle Neolithic (circa 4000 BC) and the oldest known remains in China so far date to circa 2600 BC. However, buckwheat pollen is present in China as early as 4000 BC suggesting either that (i) domestication of this plant occurred earlier than has been documented archaeologically; (ii) it spread more rapidly than previously acknowledged, or; (iii) there were two or more domestication events. It is the world's highest elevation domesticate, being that it was cultivated in Yunnan on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau or on the Plateau itself.

 Tatar buckwheat was domesticated in east Asia. While it is unfamiliar to the West, it is still eaten in the Himalayan region today.

 Buckwheat is a short season crop that does well on poor, somewhat acidic soils, but the soil must be well drained. Too much fertilizer, especially nitrogen, will greatly reduce yields. In hot climates, it can only be grown by sowing late in the season, so that it will bloom in cooler weather. Buckwheat is sometimes used as a green manure, as a plant for erosion control, or as wildlife cover and feed.
 

 Common Buckwheat in flowerBuckwheat is one of the few seeds consumed as flour today that does not belong to the grass family (Poaceae), and it is, thus, not actually a grain. Instead the seed is an achene, more similar to a sunflower seed, with a hard outer shell and soft inner meat. The flour is noticeably darker than wheat flour, and is known (exaggeratedly) as "bl¨¦ noir" ("black barley") in French. Besides the seeds, from which buckwheat flour is produced, buckwheat is also a good honey plant, producing a dark, mellow varietal honey. In Asia, the flour is made into noodles (including soba). In Europe it is more commonly made into buckwheat groats, often known as "kasha". Buckwheat contains rutin, a medicinal chemical, used for vascular disorders; it is naturally devoid of gluten, and can thus be eaten by people who react adversely to gluten.

 Buckwheat pancakes, sometimes raised with yeast, are eaten in several countries. They are known as blinis in Russia, galettes in France (especially in Brittany) and ployes in Acadia. Similar pancakes were a common food in American pioneer days. They are light and foamy. The buckwheat flour gives them an agreeably earthy, mildly mushroom-like taste.

 Unlike the widely consumed seeds, Buckwheat greens are toxic. Eaten in sufficient quantities, the greens can induce an ensemble of symptoms, primarily fagopyrism, an extreme sensitization of the skin to sunlight. Light pigmented livestock and fair skinned people are particularly susceptible.

 In the past buckwheat cultivation was also used in orchards to increase the rate of pollination. Cultivation of buckwheat has declined sharply in the US. Over a million acres (4,000 km2) were harvested in 1918. By 1954 that had declined to 150,000 acres (600 km2), and by 1964, the last year that production statistics were gathered, only 50,000 acres (200 km2) were grown. In 1970 Russia grew an estimated 4.5 million acres (18,000 km2) of buckwheat.

 The name 'buckwheat' or "beech wheat" comes from its triangular seeds, which resemble the much larger seeds of the beech nut from the beech tree, and the fact that it is used like wheat.

 In the 1970s and 1980s, General Mills produced a sweetened, maple-flavored breakfast cereal made from buckwheat, which was marketed under the name Buc-Wheats.

 Buckwheat is known in French as both "ble noir" (as mentioned previously) and "sarrasin".
 

 Buckwheat or Brank (Fagopyrum esculentum or Polygonum Fagopyrum) is a plant of the family Polygonacea, with a branched herbaceous stem, somewhat arrow- shaped leaves, and purplish-white flowers, growing to a height of about one meter, and bearing a small triangular grain of a brownish-black hue. It is cultivated in the far-east as a bread-corn and in Europe as a feed for farm animals.

 Buckwheat is loaded with nutrients, especially protein, and it has a nutty, earthy flavor. It's most commonly ground into a dark, gritty flour and used to make everything from pancakes to soba noodles. Eastern Europeans also like their buckwheat crushed into small groats, which they toast in oil and use to make side dishes and breakfast cereals.
 Lore:Among some Hindu cultures, buckwheat is one of the few foods which may be eaten during certain religious holidays.


   Buckwheat classification:

Chinese Buckwheat Yulin Origin	Chinese Buckwheat Ningxia  and/or Gansu  Origin	Chinese Inner Mongolia Buckwheat Chifeng and / or Tongliao Origin
Hulled Buckwheat (Buckwheat Kernels)	Buckwheat Hulls	Chinese Wild Buckwheat
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