January 12/Taichung, Taiwan/Food Business Week -- According to recent research from Taichung, Taiwan, "Common buckwheat (Fagopyrium esculentum Moench) was used to substitute 15% of wheat flour to make husked and unhusked buckwheat breads. Volatile compounds and taste components in buckwheat breads were analyzed and compared with those in white bread."

"Both buckwheat breads contained more sugars and had higher sugar contents than white bread. Both buckwheat breads contained more total free amino acids (86.36-87.73mg/g) than white bread (73.90mg/g). Contents of flavor 5'-nucleotides were higher in both buckwheat breads. Both buckwheat breads had higher umami intensities than white bread. Three breads had different profiles of volatile compounds, and total volatile contents in buckwheat breads (3564.36-4951.39mu g/g) were 2- to 3-folds higher than that in white bread (1,706.46mu g/g). In addition, buckwheat breads possessed a more characteristic aroma than white bread. Overall, buckwheat could be incorporated into bread and provide buckwheat bread with more sugars, a stronger umami taste and a more characteristic aroma.

Practical Application
Common buckwheat (Fagopyrium esculentum Moench) is commonly used as an important functional food and most popularly is ground to make buckwheat noodles. Buckwheat can be added to food as a supplement to provide beneficial health effects and prevent oxidation of food during processing. Bread is consumed all over the world, and many food ingredients have been included in bread formulations to increase the diversity, nutritional value and product appeal of bread. In the present study, buckwheat was used to substitute 15% of wheat flour to make buckwheat breads. Volatile compounds and taste components, including soluble sugars, free amino acids and 5'-nucleotides, in buckwheat bread are valuable information for its practical application," wrote L.Y. Lin and colleagues, HungKuang University.

The researchers concluded, "The present work showed that buckwheat could be incorporated into bread and provides buckwheat bread with more sugars, a stronger umami taste and a more characteristic aroma."

Lin and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Food Processing and Preservation ("Flavor Components in Buckwheat Bread." Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 2009;33(6):814-826).

For additional information, contact L.Y. Lin, Hungkuang University, Dept. of Food & Nutrition, Taichung 433, Taiwan.

From the January 18, 2010, Prepared Foods E-dition