Buckwheat Day at Le Pigeon.

A culinary project for Buckwheat Day brought together the efforts of restaurant Le Pigeon and the "Zen" platform. Chef Leonid Konobritsky developed the special menu, putting the emphasis on unusual combinations and French culinary techniques. Buckwheat became the centerpiece of every dish, appearing in the most unexpected formats. From April 10 to 20, the restaurant's guests can try dishes that rethink the traditional flavor and present it in a new light.

As part of the special menu, Leonid Konobritsky offered guests several signature creations. Among them: a buckwheat tartine with mushroom pâté and soaked lingonberries, served on buckwheat-flour bread. The menu also got a green salad with green buckwheat, avocado, and smoked eel under ponzu and unagi sauces. For those who prefer warm dishes, the chef offered a slow-cooked buckwheat porridge in two presentations: with porcini, a roasted-buckwheat mousse, and a runny-center egg, or with duck and a marinated green tomato salsa.

Dessert in this special menu didn't skip buckwheat either. Leonid Konobritsky presented a buckwheat version of the French dessert "Paris-Brest," where buckwheat flour was used for both the choux pastry and the praline cream. Rounding out the menu was buckwheat tea, with a light nutty flavor and natural sweetness, which played up the original dishes.

For the occasion, the "Zen" platform launched a themed channel entirely devoted to buckwheat. There you'll find not just unusual recipes that reveal the traditional ingredient in a new light, but also material on its health benefits, prepared by nutritionists. The channel also offers tips on using buckwheat in personal care, opening up even more possibilities for fans of this ingredient.