Despite its name, buckwheat is not actually related to wheat.
What is it? A hardy plant that is harvested for its edible seeds.
How is it available? As groats (where the seeds are hulled and crushed) or as flour. The flour is made into noodles (including Japanese soba and Italian speciality pasta), bread, crepes, cakes and blini. Buckwheat groats come in small, medium and coarse grain. They're usually toasted to bring out the nutty flavour.
What else? Buckwheat can be used to make alcoholic beverages such as vodka and beer. The flour has a short shelf-life; it should be placed in the fridge or freezer for longer storage.
How to use: soba noodles can be served in hot or cold dishes. For a summer dish, make a dipping sauce of dashi (made from katsuo-bushi - shaved dried bonito - and kombu - dried sea kelp) and mix with mirin (sweet rice wine), soy sauce and sugar. Boil the soba noodles until tender then drain and immediately plunge into a bowl of iced water. Ladle the dipping sauce into bowls and add ice cubes. The noodles can be served in individual bowls of iced water. Serve with grated wasabi, minced spring onions, Japanese fish cake and julienned nori (dried flavoured seaweed).
The noodles can also be tossed with a sauce of sesame paste, soy sauce, mirin and honey. Serve with shredded chicken, julienned nori and toasted sesame seeds.