Buckwheat is not related to wheat at all. It is actually the seed of a flowering plant that is more closely related to rhubarb. Farmers often grow it as a cover crop because it grows quickly and helps enrich the soil.
Once the seeds are harvested, the outer shells are removed. These shells are the buckwheat hulls that fill your pillow. The hulls are cleaned, dried, and sorted into two grades. Mulch grade is used in gardens. Pillow grade is the clean, springy hulls that are ideal for filling pillows
The hulls have a natural pyramid shape, and many of them still have two or three sides attached. This gives them a light, supportive feel that shifts easily when you move, before locking into place. Because hulls have no nutritive value, they do not attract bugs or mites, which is one of the reasons they are so popular in natural bedding.
At Kuseno, we use hulls that are grown and processed in Canada. They are dried naturally and thoroughly cleaned so they are odour free and ready for years of use. When you sleep on a buckwheat pillow, you are resting on a natural material that supports Canadian farmers and small businesses.