BUCKWHEAT
grows spontaneously in the area between Siberia and Manchuria. Arrived in Italy in 1600, where it has established in the Alpine valleys due to the great shortage of food that the farmers were experiencing.
The seeds of buckwheat was so important that it could be planted as a second seed, after wheat and rye in the lowland, and grows abundantly throughout the province in a myriad of small vegetable gardens up to and over a thousand meters above sea level. There was a great development of the crop that fed generations in the mountain countries turning the corn into a typical product of the Valtellina and giving origin to popular dishes such as pizzoccheri.
For many years the consumption of this cereal has been covered for 100% on imports mainly from China, Turkey, Poland because of the higher cost of cultivation in Italy.
Alas: imported buckwheat remains too long in the silos, then in the holds of ships, and when it comes to us gets sapid only adding condiments of butter and cheese.
We must recover as soon as possible the COMMON BUCKWHEAT SEED OF VALTELLINA QUALITY, species well acclimatized and required from the Valtellina traditional cuisine, before its dispertion. We have to go back to replant it at least to maintain indigenous seed, before this dish, so much required, be surpassed by other cuisines.
