Toasting Buckwheat

Raw buckwheat groats taste grassy and flat. Toasting them in a dry pan over medium heat for 4-6 minutes, stirring until deeply golden and fragrant, develops a mild, almost coffee-like roast that carries through milk and cream when infused. Take the toast further than feels comfortable, stopping just before it turns acrid - that depth is what gives a set buckwheat custard its distinctive, savoury-sweet backbone rather than a raw, cereal edge.