The Aroma of Buckwheat

The Aroma of Buckwheat

　　On the slopes and plains of the Liupan Mountain area, row upon row and cluster upon cluster, the tender green leaves, crimson red stalks, and pinkish flowers create a vibrant and enchanting sight, filling the air with a sweet fragrance that attracts buzzing bees and fluttering butterflies. This is buckwheat. The Liupan Mountains have a cool and moist climate, which is suitable for buckwheat cultivation. As a late autumn crop, buckwheat helps with crop rotation and field resting, and can also compensate for losses caused by summer crop damage, making it a long-favored crop among mountain communities. Buckwheat noodles, buckwheat stirred pudding, kneaded buckwheat dough, and buckwheat jelly are all beloved local foods rich in regional character. Buckwheat dishes cook quickly and are easy to prepare — as the local saying in Guyuan goes, “You could warm it up even by tucking it under your armpit.” Buckwheat is also a valuable traditional Chinese medicinal herb, known for its ability to soothe the intestines, reduce gas, clear heat, and detoxify. According to Li Shizhen’s *Compendium of Materia Medica* and modern pharmacopoeias, it can treat dysentery, cough, edema, erysipelas in children, headaches, and burns or scalds. The newly developed “Golden Buckwheat Tablets” are made from buckwheat. Pillows stuffed with buckwheat hulls, known as “eye-brightening pillows,” are believed to have eye-care benefits when used regularly. In recent years, with advancements in food nutrition science and continuous improvements in dietary structures, there has been new progress in the production, research, and utilization of buckwheat. The emergence of “instant buckwheat noodles” and “dried buckwheat noodles” are prime examples. (Guyuan)