Ancient Whole Grain Gluten‐Free Buckwheat Snacks

Abstract

Four kinds of whole grain Buckwheat snacks (gluten‐free, low in fat and salt) were evaluated. The snacks were Buckwheat, Buckwheat‐Turmeric, Buckwheat‐Pepper and Buckwheat‐Ginger. Turmeric and Ginger are very common ingredients of Asian cuisines. Turmeric and ginger have been reported to have health promoting potential, as increase blood flow and prevent joint pain. All the snacks contained 6% corn oil and 2% salt. Snack dough was prepared using 120 mL water for 100 g dry ingredients. About 22 g of snack dough was placed on each side of preheated KrumKake Baker and cooked for 1.75 minutes. Seventy one in‐house volunteers judged Buckwheat‐Ginger snacks significantly higher in Odor/Aroma than Buckwheat‐Pepper snacks. Color/Appearance, Taste/Flavor, Texture/Mouth‐feel and Acceptance were judged to be similar in four kinds of Buckwheat snacks tested. Water activity of all the snacks tested ranged from 0.21–0.32 suggesting that these snacks were crispy and would have good microbial stability. These snacks were quite filling due to their expansion of 3–4 times resulting in high porosity. There were significant differences in color but not in texture of snacks tested. Acceptance of snacks tested was Buckwheat 84%, Buckwheat‐Turmeric 80%, Buckwheat‐Pepper 73% and Buckwheat‐Ginger 70%. These snacks contained only 3–4 ingredients and could be made in any house kitchen or commercial production. Acceptance of 70–84% is very desirable. These healthy nutritious snacks offer choice for all including individuals sensitive to gluten.Support or Funding InformationUSDA‐ARS Base funding