The inventory at Midwest Food Bank New England is always changing, but a recent delivery brought something even our team had not encountered before: buckwheat groats.
An anonymous donor wanted more people to experience buckwheat as an alternative to common grains and provided a grant to purchase an entire truckload from North Dakota.
Despite its name, buckwheat is not actually wheat. It is a grain-like plant related to rhubarb and sorrel. Buckwheat is gluten-free and a complete protein, and the groats, the seeds of the plant, can be prepared on their own or served alongside other foods.
The truckload arrived at Midwest Food Bank New England in August. Before it can make its way into the community, volunteers will help repackage the bulk buckwheat groats into smaller bags for distribution to nonprofit partners.
For our team, it is a new food to learn about, package, and share. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor and the hands of volunteers, this truckload will soon make its way from North Dakota into communities throughout New England.
