Milk has been in the news lately – both with a new-tech angle and, today, as a plant-based milk up-date. I don’t drink milk. I do use it as an ingredient, but I haven’t embraced plant milks at all, for my personal use. Nevertheless, they have built a following!
You’ve probably heard of Soy Milk, Oat Milk, Almond Milk and even Cashew Milk among other non-dairy milk substi-tutes. They’re great for folks with lactose allergy or intolerance. And they can be helpful for those on other special diets, as well…
Some drawbacks
Nevertheless, plant-based milks marketed to date have suffered from some basic drawbacks which make them nutritionally incomplete compared to conventional cow’s milk.
But Buckwheat Milk, from New Barn Organics, gets us a little closer to the traditional thing.
Shared deficiencies
Plant-based milks have had their critics with respect to their flavour and mouth feel. But most cruc-ially, they come up short on nutritional content compared to bovine milk. And as such, they’re not considered suitable substitutes for expectant or nursing mothers, babies, or growing children to drink in place of real milk.
Why ?
The details are different for each type of plant milk. But the overriding consideration is, none of them delivers a complete dietary protein. Most are also relatively low of certain essential vitamins and minerals which cow’s milk offers in abundance.
So… How is Buckwheat different? It’s one of a few plants that delivers that mandatory, complete nutritional protein complex. Others include Quinoa, Amaranth, Chia, Hemp, Spirulina and Duck Weed. But most of those are not suitable for extracting or manufacturing into milk-like products. Soy also yields a complete protein, but it lacks other essential nutrients.
Buckwheat is also gluten-free as well as lactose-free, a combination most other plant milk’s claim.
Wide applications
Buckwheat milk is also described as having, “a smooth, creamy texture and a neutral flavor,” making it a natural for a wide range of daily applications including, coffee, smoothies, cereal, overnight oats, and baking.
Ingredients you might find odd for a milk product include a touch of Vanilla, which adds a suggest-ion of sweetness, and a splash of olive oil. The Olive oil helps enhance the product’s smooth, creamy consistency.
Becoming widely available
New Barn Organics’ buckwheat milk is now at select Whole Foods Market stores in the Southern Pacific, Northern California, Southwest, Rocky Mountain, and Florida regions. You can also order it online through the New Barn Organics website.
My take
Buckwheat Milk appears to be the best, most nutritionally complete substitute for bovine milk yet devised. But it’s still not as rich in everything we need as real milk.
Neverthless, it’s a worthy addition to the growing pantheon of milk substitutes already available all over the Western World…
~ Maggie J.