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You may imagine buckwheat to be an original Japanese crop but in fact buckwheat is cultivated not only in Asia but also in Europe and America.
In the Bretagne region in northwest France, people enjoy snacking on crepes
at a creperie (crepe restaurant). In this part of France, creperies outnumber
cafes, and friends gather in them to share a bottle of cidre, a popular
local drink, and to eat together while they talk.
The crepe is essential to the people of Bretagne. When made from buckwheat flour it is called a galette, and may feature eggs, ham, mushrooms, bacon, etc. The finishing touch is a bit of fragrant salted butter.
Buckwheat can grow in barren land, and as a result, people in Bretagne have been eating the galette as a staple food for several centuries. The dessert crepe appeared later. People normally associate Galettes made from buckwheat dough with a salty taste, and Crepes made from wheat dough with a sweet taste.
Many people have an image of French cuisine as very formal "haute
cuisine", but there is a wide variety of regional dishes such as the
galette which are worth exploring. Why not try a full-course meal of traditional
fare at one of our restaurants? Start with an appetizer--some pate perhaps,
or a plate of cheese-- and then follow with a galette and some cidre. Finally,
a dessert crepe, and, in the Bretagne style, warm your heart with a small
glass of the apple liqueur called Calvados.
Considering its value, buckwheat is loved all over the world.
Why is buckwheat so good for health?
- Buckwheat's important components are numerous, and include the following
:
- Vitamin B1
- has a positive effect in preventing an enlarged heart and heart disease.
- Vitamin B2
- helps to preventing high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries. It also strengthens skin, preventing stomattis and conjunctivitis.
* Buckwheat contains double the amount of Vitamin B1 and B2 compared to wheat flour, and the three times more than white rice.
- The Fiber
- in buckwheat is effective in preventing cancer of the digestive organs and several types of related disease.
- Rutin (A type of polyphenol: Vitamin P)
- Of all grains only buckwheat contains this nutrition and strengthens capillary vessels by promoting elasticity and functions to lower blood pressure. It has a positive effect on cerebral apoplexy and high blood pressure. It is also useful in preventing diabetes. It is useful for protecting and actively stimulating the memory cells. It may help to slow and reduce the aging process. When taken with Vitamin C, it is more efficiently absorbed.
→That means, drinking Cidre which contains a high Vitamin C content and eating a buckwheat Galette together could have big effect on preventing cerebral apoplexy !
These components (Vitamins B1, B2, Rutin) are water-soluble, so unlike buckwheat noodles which lose these attributes when boiled in water, a galette retain all its nutritional value, making it an ideal food.
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