The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-10
BUCKWHEAT CAKES.


naceae. which includes dock, sorrel and
rhubarb. 1t is probably native Of west
ern Asia or Russia. In the latter country
the seeds are used in form Of greats
particularly by the soldierly, and are
cooked with butter and OIL
In temperate climates it is largely
grown for its starchy seeds. which resem-
BILE the grain of grasses in composition
being about equal in nutritive value to
millet. For this reason and because it is
used in breads it is. for convenience
ranked with the cereals.
In the millet and sorghum seeds Of In
dia it has It's strong food allies Of similar
origin, but among these it stands alone
in it's use as a human food by the Euro
pean civilized races.
The Name of the Plant.
The name is derived from the German
buckweitzen, beech wheat or nut, from
the three sided angular shape of the
seeds. In France it Is known as sarazain
or bn mott. 1t was brought to England
over three hundred years ago, and to
North America by the early Dutch set
tiers, and from them We have learned
to bake 1t into cakes. The grain was COM
mon in Germany in the fifteenth century
and is catalogued in many old books in
the sixteenth.
Different Species.
There are three varieties of the plant
cultivated the common, the Nartartan
and the notchseed. The second Nf these,
the tartartan, came from Siberia about
fifty years ago. 1t was there discovered
by botanists In the early part of the cen
fury. 1t is said of It that in its native
country it sows itself for five years.
In Britain. the buckwheat is an easily
cultivated annual, being grown there
chiefly for feeding poultry and game, es'
pecially pheasants. Hence, it is said, the
origin of the peculiar cry Of the guinea
fowl-"buckwheat."
avariety called Saracenicum. SNOWY
herbaceous plant, was introduced i nto
France as an ornamental garden plant at
about the same time the Siberian came to
Errope-the latter was called saracean,
millet. 1t grew to the height CT about six
feet This variety was also called halcus.
and was cultivated in Italy 1t was found
in Babylon on Herodotus and its cultiva-
ton and Its curious qualities are men
toned by naturalists from time to tine
ever since.
Its Food Qualities.
The seed of the buckwheat is inclosed
in husk containing much indisestible
celluloise. When this husk, amounting to
about twenty per cent, is removed the
richness of the seeds is by no means low
in nutritive value, but stands midway in
this respect between wheat on one hand
and rice on the other. The great pre-
pom ierance of carbohydrates in all cere-
ais indicates that they should not be eat
en- alone, but with other foods richer in
fat and proteid. Instinctively We have
learned this fact and remedy the. def
cheney by spreading a generous supply of
butter over our buckwheat cakes and eat
ing them with maple syrup. honey or
molasses. Buckwheat cakes are rendered
mere wholesome by the addition of from
one-third to one-half their volume of
scalded corn meal. They are sweeter
more tender and bake a nicer, more even
brown.
The character of it's albuminoids. most
~ soluble, and its richness in heat ard
force producing elements. make it avail
able for bread and cake-making.
Buckwheat Flour.
The -four of buckwheat compares I'M
favorably with that of wheat owing to
its deficiency in gluten. but fairly nu-
tritieus bread Is made and largely con-
sumed in Brittany The bread, like our
cakes. is greatly relighed by those who
are accustomed to its peculiar taste.
Buckwheat cakes are very popular in
and In this country buckwheat
always means griddle cakes-and in some
sections "sassage gravy" To the recu-
liar and characteristic flavor of this So
called cereal is due the traditional value
Of theb uckwheat cake, which is the pop
ular favorite oil the griddle-cake season.
A simon-pure buckwheat cake may be
regarded In the light Of a luxury In this
fact apparently not verified
by the hotel and restaurant menus. The
and objections to raising it,
with its peculiar and difficult milling
qualities. have generally given the -four
n relatively high price In the market. es-
pecially for the pure article.
The annual production in the United
States is said TO be in the neighbornood of
?, ooe. 900 bushels. the states Of New York
and Pennsylvania contributing largely
There are some persons who find that
buckwheat does not agree with them. its
use causing an eruption of the skin called
erythema. an ailment causing much dis
comfort because of the constant itching
and irritation. In all probabili;y the oc-
cupation Of the individual 50 af,icted is
such that this class OF foods must be par
taken of sparingly or not at all; or. on
the other hand. their physical condition.
may develop the annoyance.
1t is possible. too that the buc1wheat
-four may contain rye and gritty matter,
and with the addition Of corn meal. which
without previous scaidins Is not suffl-
GENTLY we'll cooked. in cake making
makes the cakes very hard t. digest for
some people. When the yeast batter for
buckwheat cakes is leIt to stand over
Night be careful that il Is perfectly sweet
when ready to bake.
II one feels any doubt as 10 the whole
scmeneSs OF pure huekwneat -four Visit
70 the land OF bucSvh heat CAKES ana
honey among the Pennsylvania Dutch
win 6i.aeli the uncertainty n their minds.
II least as re,grts th.se pee,le.
Among the household recipes there are
many for buckwheat cake. cherished
With the family traditions.
Cakes made OF pure bsckwhsat are
sest. but as some DO not ike the distinct
1syc.r of huckwhsSt we viii give several
rarieties OF recipes.
Colonial euckwhest Cakes.
Take one pint OF warm sweet milk. one
,irt OF WARN vete-. one cu2 OF Yeast
wo teaspoors OF salt and rve curs Of
,uckwheat four. Pct half 4 the Equd
n a store crock and gradually SIT ard
,.s, in the four and continue 10 beat IN