��

Teff

Information about Teff grain and Teff flour plus Teff recipes collection

�

�

�

Click here for more Ingredients of the Month

�

�

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.

�

�