Buckwheat. Altai region

The Altai region is a region of thousands of lakes and untouched natural corners, rich in historical and cultural heritage, with a favorable ecology and famous branded products. One of these products is buckwheat (Latin: Fagopyrum esculentum), a species of herbaceous plants of the buckwheat genus (Fagopyrum) in the family Polygonaceae. It is both a cereal and a honey plant.

The Altai region grows a quarter of the world's buckwheat crop. The Altai region can rightfully be called the buckwheat capital, producing up to 70% of all Russian buckwheat.

Historically, buckwheat grew in Northern India, the Himalayas, Southern Siberia, and the Altai region. Russian archaeologists continue to find fossilized buckwheat grains in burial mounds of the Altai people and in excavated Ural camps of Asian nomads dating back to centuries before our era.

The unique climate of the Altai region ensures that the heat- and moisture-loving buckwheat grown here is excellent in its technological properties and chemical composition. The highest quality of buckwheat produced by Altai manufacturers is confirmed by time, expert assessments, and consistently growing demand.

Today, the Altai region holds key positions in the country for buckwheat production, accounting for 45% of the Russian market. Nearly 30 enterprises are involved in its production.

An astonishing fact: a single buckwheat plant can form up to a thousand flowers during its blooming period, with each flower blooming for only about a day.

Everything about the noble buckwheat plant is beautiful: from its flowers to its robust grains and fields of dark amber color.

Buckwheat is not just for porridge. The tastiest kind of all honey is buckwheat honey. The by-products of cereal production are used as animal feed, and the plant itself loosens the soil, enriching it with organic matter, phosphorus, and potassium, and improving the quality of heavy soils.

Even buckwheat husk, seemingly a waste product, is useful. Sleeping on a pillow filled with it relieves insomnia, and its heat capacity is comparable to coal.

Buckwheat is a serious vegetative competitor to many weeds and acts as a phytosanitary of the field.

In 2023, the buckwheat harvest in the Altai region farms amounted to 929 thousand tons, 11% more than the record of 2022.

Primarily, buckwheat is popular as a plant-based source of iron. It is also one of the few edible plants containing rutin (which contributes to good immunity and productivity). Buckwheat grains are rich in easily digestible vitamins and beneficial minerals: magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, B vitamins, vitamins A, C, and others. The carbohydrates in buckwheat are slow-releasing, providing a feeling of fullness for a long time and not causing a sharp rise in blood sugar levels.