Bila Tserkva — Buckwheat Groats, First Grade (Гречка ядриця)

Ukrainian quick-cooking buckwheat — a kilogram of the everyday foundation grain.

UKRAINE   ·   BILA TSERKVA   ·   1 kg

What it is

Whole buckwheat groats — ядриця — first-grade and quick-cooking, packed by ТОВ «Білоцерківхлібопродукт» (Bila Tserkva Bread Products) in the Kyiv Oblast of Ukraine. The "B.K." in the name is short for that maker — one of Ukraine's long-running grain mills, going back to the Soviet period. Same recognisable Ukrainian package design with its embroidery border that anyone who's shopped Ukrainian groceries will spot immediately.

This is the everyday Eastern European foundation grain: cook it down with butter into a rich brown porridge, serve it warm beside braised meat or stewed mushrooms, or use it as the filling for stuffed cabbage or peppers. Naturally gluten-free, slow-burning energy, deeply nostalgic flavour.

How to cook

Rinse the grain under cold water to remove dust. In a heavy pot combine 1 part buckwheat to 2 parts water, add a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on the lowest heat for about 15 minutes, until the water is fully absorbed. Take off the heat and leave covered for another 5–10 minutes — this is what makes the grain fluff up properly. Stir in a generous knob of butter and serve.

Composition

100% buckwheat groats (гречка ядриця), first grade, quick-cooking. Single ingredient, nothing added.

Per manufacturer (ТОВ «Білоцерківхлібопродукт», Ukraine).

Nutrition (per 100 g, dry)

Manufacturer values — actual figures on the pack are definitive.

Allergens & storage

Allergens: none of the 14 statutory allergens. Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free — though if you are coeliac please check the pack for any "may contain" notice from shared facilities.

Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened, transfer to an airtight jar. Shelf life approximately 18 months from the date on the pack.

Net weight: 1 kg  ·  Made by: ТОВ «Білоцерківхлібопродукт», Bila Tserkva, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine

A kilo of the grain you grew up on — quiet, useful, always on the shelf.