There’s nothing new about buckwheat, a seed (not really a grain) that’s most comfortable growing in cooler and high-altitude climates worldwide. But the form in which Emily Griffith is selling them is innovative. While living in Australia, she discovered sprouted buckwheat and created Lil Bucks, a company to make and sell the crunchy, earthy-tasting seeds. You can add them to granola, sprinkle them on salad, dust them over yogurt and so forth. Like so much these days, they’re billed as a “superfood,” but the real benefit is their fiber (5 grams in a quarter-cup), protein (6 grams in a quarter-cup), their nice texture and alluring flavor. In addition to plain, they also come flavored with matcha or cacao, neither of which add much in my view. Chunky clusters with other seeds and seasoned with chocolate or turmeric-lemon myrtle are for snacking.
Lil Bucks, $5.99 to $6.99 for 6 ounces; $14.99 to $16.99 per pound; Clusterbucks, $8.99 for 6 ounces, lovelilbucks.com.
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