Happiness delivery officers barely get a minute to grab lunch but when they do, it’s always vibes upon vibes as they chew the fat. On this particular lunch hour, the leanest of the officers, remember? The happiness delivery…yeah, who actually had a stint at a youth boot camp is going on and on about how we should cut down our sugar and wheat uptake.
He painted the picture in crystal clear HD on the effects these two, should I call them nutrients?, had on him and his fellow recruits while at the boot camp. I found myself drifting from the conversation like balloon in the wind and wondering how I’d manage without a slice of chapatti and the countless cups of hot chocolate I’m always fixing in the office before or after the deliveries.
It was a sad minute. I then had a light bulb moment, I remembered one wheat that we ship out every now and then—the Buckwheat.
The Buckwheat!
Buckwheat flour is ground from Fagopyrum esculentum (If I could make this botanical name more palatable I would, trust me.), more commonly known as buckwheat. Although treated as a grain, buckwheat is not a cereal or grass, but it is actually a fruit that is closely related to wild rhubarb. Hard to believe? I know.
The name “buckwheat” actually comes from a Dutch word that means beech wheat in reference to the fruit of the buckwheat that resembles a small beech nut. Wheat from a fruit? I shudder at thinking how farmers in the East African Rift Valley would take this.
Turns out, as allergies to wheat become more prevalent, many people find themselves looking for healthy wheat flour alternatives. One of the most versatile flours that people have recently began to use more in their baking is buckwheat flour. We are dealing with really smart customers people or what you are most likely to hear in the streets, Akili mtu yangu!
Buckwheat flour is gluten-free which makes it a good choice for anybody with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease—an immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley or rye. It is packed with nutrients, readily available, easy to work with and has a nice nutty flavor. The nutritional profile of buckwheat is quite impressive. It is high in fiber, protein, niacin, amino acids and vitamin D. It is also rich in potassium, phosphorus, iron and calcium. The protein in buckwheat is said to be one of the best sources of protein available from plants and it contains all of the essential amino acids.
Buckwheat is linked to lower blood pressure and a lowered risk of developing high cholesterol. This is because it is rich in flavanoids which are phytonutrients that help protect against disease by acting as antioxidants.
Buckwheat also contains high levels of magnesium which helps relax to blood vessels that improving blood flow. The nutrients in buckwheat also help to control blood sugar levels and of great benefit to people with diabetes.
In several countries, buckwheat pancakes are traditional fare. If you don’t have any wheat or gluten sensitivities, you can blend buckwheat flour with wheat flour to boost both nutrition and flavor.
If using buckwheat for bread, no more than half of the total flour should come from buckwheat. If you do not eat gluten, buckwheat flour can be used on its own in baked goods or combined with other types of gluten free-flour, such as brown rice flour.
At Greenspoon, we have Twajenga Buckwheat flour which is produced by grinding the grain into flour in the traditional will not set you back by more than a thousand shilling and we’ll have it at your doorstep before the day is over. Or buy ready made buckwheat bread instead! #Addtocart 😉
Author; Justin Mugwimi, Happiness Delivery Officer
