Since my recent discovery of buckwheat tea I have been able to track down some absolutely fantastic producers of it, and import their products into Canada. At the time of writing this, I’ve made soba tea for about 75 customers. People are raving about it, it’s such a hit — I think because it checks so many boxes of what people want in an after dinner tea: No caffeine, it helps with digestion, tastes great, and is healthy on the scale of super foods due to its extremely high rutin content.
What is buckwheat?
Buckwheat, known as soba in Japan, is a a highly nutritious, gluten free seed that is often mistaken for a grain due to its name and similar culinary uses. It is known for its high levels of antioxidants, most famously rutin, which contributes to its anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular protective effects. Although many people know buckwheat as the base of soba noodles; its also very popular as a tea, particularly in Japan, China, and Korea.
Dattan soba, aka Tartary buckwheat or bitter buckwheat, is a variety of buckwheat that originated from the high altitude regions of the Himalayas. It is believed that the Tatar people introduced this novel strain of buckwheat to Japan. In various texts, it’s said dattan soba has a distinctively bitter taste, I don’t find that to be the case at all.
Buckwheat as tea:
Buckwheat tea is made from roasted buckwheat kernels, which can come from either common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) or the rarer bitter buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum). This tea has a nutty (peanut) or sesame-like fragrance, with with a great richness, and slight sweetness. I’d compare its flavor to an aluminum foil pouch of zucchini, mushrooms, butter, salt, and sesame oil, all sealed up and grilled for 20 minutes. It is caffeine-free, making it a popular choice for those seeking a soothing drink at any time of day.
A note on comparison: There are 2 buckwheat teas available on this site now. Roasted Tartary Buckwheat Tea, and this one. they are both roasted, but the other is roasted much deeper than this. The roasting will negate some of the health benefits in favor of developing a richer, deeper flavor. For those drinking buckwheat tea and focusing on its health benefits, this version is likely a better choice.
Whether you’re a seasoned tea lover or someone new to the world of herbal infusions, buckwheat tea—especially in its bitter buckwheat form—can provide an amazing addition to your tea collection, and enable you to live a healthier lifestyle without compromising aroma or flavor.
