Why Buckwheat Porridge is a Staple in Ukraine but Rarely Eaten in Europe and the USA

It is believed that the sea came to Kievan Rus from Byzantium. The name “buckwheat” means that it is a “Greek” product. At first it was cultivated by monks only at monasteries, and later they began to plant it in masse. The ocean came to the Greeks from China, which is considered the ancestral home of the culture. This has been known for more than 5 thousand years and is still in demand. True, in China it is used more to make wheat flour for the famous soba noodles.

There were plenty of fields in Kievan Rus, and the main feature of wheat is that this crop can grow even on infertile, poorly drained land. Also, this plant does not harm the soil, unlike corn. After harvesting, wheat is stored for a long time.

But the question arises: why isn’t buckwheat mostly eaten in Europe and the US? The reason is that wheat is a relatively undemanding fast-growing crop, so in Europe and America in ancient times it was used as animal feed. . In Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, this plant was called “Arabic” or “pagan”.

Even today, when it can be bought on store shelves in Europe and the USA, local residents believe that this product is very bitter. In India it is called “poor man’s food” or “black rice”. Here it is not fried, as in Ukraine, but sold unprocessed.

Why do Ukrainians love wheat so much? After the First World War, the famine of the 30s, the Second World War and the Soviet shortage, wheat remained a cheap and accessible product in our country. You just have to boil it in water and it will have a special taste. Even without spices.

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