Groat Techniques for Football Players and You

Dear Nicole,
 You once said you made a great raw breakfast dish with groats, tell me how! 
 Sincerely Groatesque

Dear Groatesque, 

I'm glad you asked!
Buckwheat groats (hulled buckwheat) are unroasted, whole, raw, or white buckwheat kernels

"Consuming groats has become increasingly popular among NFL players, who often cite the sustained energy that groats provide. " -Wikipedia

I eat groats every single morning. 
Many people dehydrate their groats. I do not. 

Here is what I do:

First, Soak a cup of groats in a bowl of water (covered) overnight. That's 8 hours to you. 

Next, rinse the slime (yes, slime) off the groats in a colander. 

Keep them in the colander! Put it over a bowl so they can drip their slime into it. 

Cover the colander with a lid or a towel, and keep the groats moist for another 4-8 hours, 
or until they grow the smallest of tails. This may require you re-rinsing them every 2 hours or so.

DO NOT LET THE TAILS GET TOO LONG. It's not the end of the world if you do, 
but if they get long tadpole tails they will start tasting like a sprout, which is a bit strong and earthy for a morning cereal, don't you agree?

This photo shows groats with tails that are too long. Try for ones that are short. Short little white tails that haven't had the chance to curl yet.

After they have short tails, you can keep them in a tightly sealed Tupperware in the refrigerator for (in my experience) 3-4 days. I keep extra sprouted groats in the freezer and defrost them when I'm ready to eat them. 

The groats will have metamorphosed into something different than a grain, they will now spread their wings and become a vegetable. 


"When you sprout groats they become a vegetable instead of a grain. That transformation makes them easier to digest."-A commenter whose photo made them look like they knew what they were talking about

I prepare my morning groat-meal (har har) by spooning some groats into a bowl with soy yogurt and fruit. Add sweetener if you must.

Here is a photo some stranger posted of their groats with fruit and rice milk.

Note: A lot of people dehydrate theirs. I like the texture of a soaked, hydrated groat, so I don't.
If you see a vine coming out of my nose at some point, then perhaps I was wrong.
In the meantime, I'm fine. I think they are tasty, toothsome little bits. Add them to a raw parfait with cashew cream and fruit and die of happiness.
 

I will be honest: I got most of this advice from a blog called Raw Love .