Buckwheat is NOT what it seems. 

 Though it looks like a grain and tastes like a grain it is not part of the cereal family.  Buckwheat is a nutritionally dense and gluten-free relative of the rhubarb and sorrel family.

The kernels, called groats are hulled, roasted and serves as a side dish, stuffing or ground into a blue-gray flour which can be used in a variety of dishes.  Buckwheat has become the darling of pastry chefs everywhere and therefore that is good news for all who are gluten sensitive or intolerant.  Give it a try!