Teff

Information about Teff grain and Teff flour plus Teff recipes collection

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Teff is fast becoming an "in" food due to its many qualities, both agriculturally and cooking wise.  This article explores its origins, history as well as its culinary uses.

Whilst not quite considered a "super food", its many qualities both nutritionally and as a commercially grown agricultural crop place it in the top canopy of the desirable foods tree.

What is Teff?

Teff is a type of grain, much like wheat, except it is very tiny. Indeed, the word "Teff" is believed to have been derived from the Amharic word teffa which translates to "lost", and was so named probably due to the the fact that the size of the grain are so small as to be easily  lost if spilled.

It is the smallest grain in the world, measuring only about 1/32nd  of an inch in diameter and  150 grains of Teff  weigh as much as just one grain of wheat.

One important factor culinary wise, is that Teff is gluten free and therefore suitable for people with coeliac disease or other gluten intolerances.

Teff comes in three varieties: white, brown and red. The white types are milder in flavour and  are generally the preferred variety for cooking.

Origins of Teff

Teff is an ancient grain and is believed to have originated in Ethiopia possibly as much as  4000 years ago.   An earlier identification of Teff seeds from an ancient Egyptian pyramid is now considered unreliable, however it's not impossible that the Ancient Egyptians too ate a form of Teff.

Cultivation and processing of Teff

Teff has been widely cultivated and used in  Ethiopia and Eritrea for centuries and has also grown in South Africa,  India and  and Australia. It is a fine stemmed annual grass characterised by a large crown, many shoots, and a shallow root system. The plants germinate quickly and are adapted to environments ranging from drought stress to water logged soil conditions.

Its adaptability  to growing in extreme environments ranging from drought to waterlogged soil conditions  makes it the ideal staple crop for places where extremes occur during the growing season. In Ethiopia Teff accounts for about a quarter of total cereal production. The plants germinate quickly and are a reliable low risk crop provided they receive sufficient daylight as they are day length sensitive, requiring 12 hours of daylight for optimum performance.

Because of the seeds' minute size, just a handful  can be sown over a very large area, making it ideal for poorer rural farmers especially as 1lb of Teff seed can produce up to 1 ton of grain in as little as 12 weeks.