Buckwheat cake from Croatia

Despite of its name, buckwheat is not a cereal and not related to any other wheat. It is a fast growing plant with triangular seeds which can be prepared in similar way to rice or milled to make buckwheat flour.
Dishes from buckwheat is widespread in Asia (e. g. Japan, Korea), Russia and some eastern European countries such as Poland, Hungary and northern Croatia. The dish kasa (or kasha) which generally refers to porridge made from buckwheat, barley, rye etc. used to be very common among peasants and poor people. Although buckwheat dishes have been gradually pushed into the background in recent decades, as healthy lifestyle becomes more and more popular, this forgotten ingredient appears again in the kitchens.

Rolling hills, flower-filled meadows, river banks fringed by swaying willows - this is Medimurje, the home of this buckwheat cake. Bordered by two rivers, Mura and Drava, this less-travelled part of Croatia is a blend of Croatian and Hungarian traditions.
The seat of Medimurje county, Cakovec offers a compact old town with baroque facades, churches and a 13th century castle, once the nest of the Zrinski counts.