Milling

Making porridge - peeling and using buckwheat porridge. Buckwheat grains are more difficult to peel than barley because the grain is brittle and the husk is very hard. Ten years ago, Slovenian scientists from the Biotechnical Faculty in Ljubljana, in collaboration with the Swedes, found that traditionally peeled Slovenian buckwheat porridge, compared to industrial porridge, has substances that are similar to the highest quality dietary fiber and protect our digestive tract. In Dolenji Vrhpolje near Šentjernej, in collaboration with experts from the Biotechnical Faculty, the miller Rangus created an original buckwheat peeler that works on the same principle as typical old Slovenian feet. This method of peeling preserves, in addition to high-quality retrograde starch, substances (antioxidants, minerals) in buckwheat porridge that protect our cells from damage and help lower the concentration of cholesterol in the bloodstream. At the Rangus mill, we use the highest quality buckwheat crop for peeling buckwheat porridge, and we carefully monitor this buckwheat from sowing to harvest and on through rapid drying to peeling. Compared to other typical starchy foods (potatoes, white wheat bread, and white buckwheat flour), buckwheat porridge has a higher proportion of slowly digestible and resistant starch, which affects the slower absorption of sugar from the digestive tract and thus a smaller and more even increase in sugar and insulin in the blood. Through research by Slovenian scientists, which has also been published in American and Japanese scientific journals, we have found that when preparing buckwheat foods, especially Slovenian baked buckwheat porridge, up to 5% resistant starch can form in the porridge, which is very important from the perspective of the diet of patients with diabetes and for the prevention of colon cancer. Undigested starch is used for its metabolism by bacteria that are normally present in the colon. Fermentation products are also volatile short-chain fatty acids: acetic, propionic and butyric. Special attention is paid to butyric acid, which acts as a substrate in maintaining normal intestinal integrity. As a protective factor against colon cancer, it participates in inhibiting the growth of damaged or altered cells and, by stabilizing DNA and repairing its damage, maintains the normal shape of colon cells. Inhibiting the growth of harmful microorganisms, better absorption of fluids and electrolytes and moderately reducing local acidity are additional advantages of volatile fatty acids for protection against colon cancer. By studying the physiological function of fiber, many scientists have come to the realization that these substances are not only important for the proper functioning of the digestive tract. They also regulate the metabolism of sugar and fats and even the balance of microelements, which can contribute to the prevention of civilization diseases such as: diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and colon cancer. Buckwheat is a rich source of crude fiber. Our buckwheat porridge contains 1.2% of these, in addition to approximately 5% of slowly digestible starch. Buckwheat is a plant that offers a number of opportunities for the development of health products that are known in other parts of the world (for example, buckwheat tea, aged buckwheat vinegar, bread with buckwheat bran, foods naturally colored with buckwheat leaf flour). Our products are stored in a newly renovated cold store with a constant temperature of 10ºC. This ensures the preservation of quality. In product development, we cooperate with renowned experts on the basis of a contract between Rangus Mill and the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana. Experts from the Biotechnical Faculty also monitor the quality of buckwheat porridge, buckwheat flour and other Rangus Mill products.