Buckwheat. The fruit seed.

I discovered buckwheat in Toronto when I was really into roasting seeds and grains for salads. Roasting these little flavorful seeds add a wonderful crunch to salads, and I actually eat them straight once in a while when I feel I need a little energy boost.

Buckwheat, though thought of as a grain is actually a fruit seed linked to rhubarb. Buckwheat flour is a really great alternative if you're sensitive to wheat. Other benefits of buckwheat are high or moderately high levels of anti-oxydents, protein, compliments vitamin C by extending its effect, and is apparently good for helping to lower cholesterol levels. It's also rich in magnesium, which I'm always conscious of adding in my diet since I tend to exhaust myself a lot, and magnesium is the first thing to go when we're going through stress, lack of sleep, etc. Ever have that annoying twitchy eye thing for weeks at a time?? That's a sign of magnesium depletion.

I've roasted my buckwheat straight up on a cookie sheet for a few minutes at 350C, and I've also cooked it like a hot cereal. Buckwheat tastes really potently nutty, a really amazing taste to compliment with something fresh like fruits or in salads. I guess that's why bees who pollinate buckwheat flowers produce a special nutty-flavored dark honey.

For this breakfast cereal, I use roasted buckwheat simply because I want that crunch. So I only add it in once my hot cereal is ready to eat.

(2 servings)
1- 1/5 cups of water
1/8 cup of buckwheat
3/4 cup of old fashioned oats
1/4 cup of fresh or frozen currants (or a sweeter fruit of choice. I like a tarty fruit, hence the currants)
1/4 cup of dried thomson raisins
1/4 cup a mix of nuts: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
soy milk or milk to taste

For my daily breakfast cereal, I bring my water to boil, then lower the heat to low, put all ingredients (except buckwheat) in together, stir, and then let sit for about 1 minute on low. Then I add in the buckwheat and let sit for 5-10 minutes. I usually make enough for two days, one day I eat it hot, the next day I just add milk and have it cold. Voila, easy and filling breakfast.

Random pop culture link: learn about the controversy and impact of the character "Buckwheat" in the television series Our Gang. Controversial because of his representation of the pikanniny stereotype.