Many people enjoy eating buckwheat groats.
Buckwheat has grown on farms in America since Colonial times. In recent years, the grain enjoyed a resurgence of popularity as a breakfast food or as sprouts, and also as an export to Japan where they make noodles from buckwheat.
Buckwheat Groat Sprouts
When sprouting buckwheat groats, they are not soaked as long as many seeds for sprouts are because the groats absorb water quickly. If the buckwheat groats soak for too long they do not sprout. Allow the buckwheat groats to soak in 60- to 70-degree F water for only 20 to 60 minutes before draining and rinsing. Soaking buckwheat groats in water produces thick, starchy water and the groats will never sprout if not rinsed thoroughly.
Cooking Buckwheat Groats
When cooking buckwheat groats to use as a cereal, or as you would use rice or another grain, the groats do not need any soaking because they cook so quickly. When combining 1 cup of buckwheat groats with 2 cups of water, after bringing the groats to a boil and then reducing the heat to low, the buckwheat groats cook in only 10 to 12 minutes. Sometimes cooks toast buckwheat groats lightly in oil before cooking them in a liquid.
Considerations
Buckwheat groats are the part of the grain left after removing the hulls from the kernels, according to the University of Wisconsin Extension. In addition to using buckwheat groats for sprouting and as a breakfast food, they also show up a thickening material in dressings, gravy and soups.
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