An important identifying characteristics of the common buckwheat that differentiats from the other buckwheat species is the red stem.

Because gluten is absent, buckwheat can not be used alone for baking bread. From buckwheat flour (often also called “Heidensterz” in German), buckwheat pancakes can be baked (friesian “Friesenplatt”, Russian “Bliný”, French “Galette”, Dutch “Pofferties”, tyrolian “Schwarzplentn”). Sometimes the used flour is a mixture of buchwheat and wheat flour. Especially in Russia, Poland and in the Ukraine a popular porridge (Gretschnewaja Kascha or buckwheat groats) is prepared. The Japanese Soba noodles are also made from buckwheat, and the pizzoccheri (a kind of ribbon noodles) are made from buckwheat and wheat flour in Italy. In Switzerland one knows the spaetzle-like pizokels, which are made from buckwheat flour and potatoes.

Also for stimulants such as gluten-free beer, whiskey and brandy (for example the Japanese Sobajōchū) or tea (Sobacha, also Japanese) buckwheat can be used.

• Edible Seeds
• Type of fruit Achene
• Culinary Group Pseudocereals
• Taste neutral
• Trivial Names Echter Buchweizen, Gemeiner Buchweizen, Soba, Pohanka, Sarrasin, Sarazenisches Korn, Heidenkorn, Schwarzes Welschkorn, Common buckwheat, Japanese buckwheat, Silverhull buckwheat, Trigo sarraceno, Grano saraceno, Blé noir, Froment noir, Blé de barbarie, Renouée sarrasin, Bucail, Carabin
• Size 1 cm (single fruit with sepals)
• Taxonomy Polygonaceae (Knotweed family) Fagopyrum esculentum
• Origin East Asia, Eurasian Steppe (Map)
• Locality Wissenschaftsgarten Frankfurt (FRG) 2015