The Complete Handbook of Buckwheat
A practical reference for growers, processors, retailers, and serious cooks
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
The definitive reference on buckwheat: how to choose it, use it, and build a business around it.
About this book
Buckwheat is more than a pancake mix ingredient. It is a fast-growing cover crop, a gluten-free grain alternative, a source of high-quality protein and rutin, and a raw material for noodles, groats, flour, tea, and even pillows. But the differences between varieties, the meaning of a milling grade, and the realities of sourcing and storing buckwheat are rarely explained clearly. This handbook fills that gap.
Written for anyone who buys, sells, grows, or cooks with buckwheat, it covers the botanical and agronomic essentials, the grading system and what it actually means, and practical guidance on choosing the right type for a specific use. It also covers day-to-day handling, maintenance, and troubleshooting, and provides a realistic overview of the commercial landscape, including major suppliers and value-added business opportunities. A forward-looking chapter examines where the industry is headed, and a detailed FAQ and glossary round out the reference.
Whether you are a specialty food retailer adding a new product line, a miller sourcing consistent raw material, a farmer considering a spring or summer crop, or a baker perfecting a gluten-free loaf, this is the book to have on your shelf.
Reader Reviews
Jeffrey Baker
★★★★★I bought this for my bakery to help us source better buckwheat for our gluten-free flour blends, and it was exactly what I needed. The chapter on specifications alone saved me from a bad bulk purchase - I had no idea what a low milling grade really meant. The business chapter was a pleasant surprise, too. It's straight talk, no fluff. This is the reference I wish I'd had three years ago.
David Smith
★★★★★It's comprehensive and definitely not marketing fluff, which I appreciate. For me, the storage sections were useful, and the FAQ covered a few basics I hadn't seen answered anywhere. That said, I felt the book was a bit heavy on the agronomy side for a food buyer. I wanted more recipes and more on the culinary side, and there wasn't much of that. It's fine as a reference, but I wouldn't call it for the home kitchen.
Nicholas Moore
★★★★★Solid, practical reference. I grow about five acres of buckwheat for direct sale, and the chapters on types and troubleshooting were accurate and pointed me to a couple of things I wasn't handling well, mainly around moisture levels before storage. The writing is a bit dry at times, but it's a handbook, so that's fine. I found the future trends section useful for planning. It's a good desk copy.
Eric Harris
★★★★★This is a well-organized introduction to buckwheat, but I came in hoping for a bit more depth on the supply chain. It does a good job on the basics of the grain itself and how to use it. The glossary in the back was handy. The problem for me is that the 'business opportunities' sections are more of an overview than a guide. It tells you what you could do, but not quite enough on how to actually do it. Still, worth a read.