Buckwheat is also harvested green for rutin extraction. Rutin, a flavonol glycoside compound, is used in medicine to check blood vessels for haemorrhagic diseases and to treat high blood pressure. The leaves of buckwheat contain the highest level of rutin. Canadian processors use buckwheat in pancake mixes, breakfast cereals, breads and poultry stuffing. Europeans use whole groats in porridges, soups and breakfast cereals.
Japan is the largest customer for Canadian buckwheat.
Japanese consumers are very particular about the quality of Soba noodles, and only new crop buckwheat has the desired colour and flavour. Buckwheat grain is of lower quality than cereal grains when used for livestock feeds and is usually fed in combination with barley, oats or corn. Whole grain protein is approximately 11 per cent, with 2.5 per cent fat. The middlings from buckwheat grain are rich in protein, fat and minerals. Generally, middlings are fed only as a concentrate.