Gluten-free
Is buckwheat gluten-free?
Yes — buckwheat is naturally gluten-free. Despite the name, it is not related to wheat or any cereal grain and contains no gluten.
This is the question we are asked most. The short answer: buckwheat has no gluten. Here is why, and what it means for coeliacs.
Why the name misleads
Buckwheat (sarrasin in French) is neither a cereal nor a kind of wheat. It is the seed of the Fagopyrum plant, related more closely to rhubarb and sorrel. That is why it is called a “pseudocereal” — used like a grain, but botanically not one. And that is why it carries no gluten.
What it means for coeliacs
Pure buckwheat flour is safe for coeliacs. Watch two things, though: the flour must be 100% buckwheat (not blended with wheat) and it must avoid cross-contamination during handling. With strict coeliac disease, always ask about the ingredients and the process.
Buckwheat vs. wheat
Wheat, rye and barley contain gluten; buckwheat does not. Nutritionally, buckwheat is remarkable: more complete protein than most cereals (including lysine, which wheat lacks), plenty of magnesium and fibre, and rutin, which you will hardly find elsewhere. It also has a lower glycemic index than white wheat flour — it keeps you full longer, with a nuttier, deeper flavour.
How to choose buckwheat flour
Read the label. Look for “100% buckwheat flour” — some pancake mixes blend buckwheat with wheat flour, and those are not gluten-free. For coeliac disease, choose flour with the crossed-grain certification: mills often grind wheat too, and ordinary buckwheat flour can carry traces of it.
Buckwheat at Saint Paul
Our savoury galettes are made from 100% buckwheat flour alone — naturally gluten-free. Sweet crêpes are made with wheat by default, but on request we prepare them in a buckwheat, gluten-free version.
Read more about how we handle gluten on our Gluten-free page.
Frequently asked
- Does buckwheat contain gluten?
- No. Buckwheat contains no gluten and is naturally gluten-free.
- Is buckwheat a cereal?
- No. Buckwheat is the seed of the Fagopyrum plant, related more to rhubarb than to wheat — which is why it is called a pseudocereal.
- Can coeliacs eat buckwheat?
- Yes, pure buckwheat is safe for coeliacs. The key is that the flour is not blended with wheat and that cross-contamination is avoided.
- Is buckwheat flour gluten-free?
- Yes — as long as it is 100% buckwheat. Watch out for blends with wheat flour; for coeliac disease, choose crossed-grain certified flour.
- Are buckwheat pancakes gluten-free?
- Yes — as long as they are made from pure buckwheat flour with no wheat blended in. A Breton galette is exactly that: a gluten-free buckwheat pancake.
- Are the galettes at Saint Paul gluten-free?
- Our savoury galettes are made from 100% buckwheat flour, so naturally gluten-free. We do handle wheat flour in the kitchen for sweet crêpes — if you have strict coeliac disease, tell us and we will advise you when you order.
Rather taste than cook?
We cook galettes and crêpes and pour cider every day at Fresh Market.