Teff: An Ancient Grain for Contemporary Cuisine

Teff is one of my favorite grains to cook, and to eat.  It is a tiny, tiny grain about the size of a poppy seed and has a mild, nutty flavor with a slightly sweet taste. An well-known organic chef describes it as "reminiscent of chocolate, hazelnuts, and molasses" (Leslie Cerier. Gluten-free Recipes for the Conscious Cook, p. 21)  The grain comes in a variety of colors, from white and red to dark brown, and the lighter the seed, the milder the flavor.  

Field of Teff

Described as eco-friendly, Teff grows well in a wide variety of farming conditions from arid to very wet or marginal land. This ancient grain clearly is a better choice for the environment than many chemical-dependent modern hybrid grains. Indigenous to the hills of Ethiopia and Eritrea, teff can withstand high heat, and bright sunlight, thriving in unpredictable and difficult climates. The heritage grain traces its history back thousands of years to the  ancient civilizations of Abyssinia.  I’ve been told that the word ‘teff’ means  ‘lost’ , the grain being so small that if it is ever dropped, it  is lost and gone.

• Three thousand grains of teff weigh one gram

  
The semi-nomadic peoples of the regions were able to easily carry enough seed in their peregrinations  to sow adequate crops to feed their community. Today  teff still comprises the staple grain of the cuisine of modern Ethiopian and Eritrean, and ex-patriot communities world-wide. For most people, a taste of teff is truly 'love at first bite'. Like all other grains, teff's nutrients concentrate in the germ and the bran.  Because of its tiny size, the germ and the bran make up almost the whole grain. Since teff is too small to hull or  refine, it maintains its nutritional integrity as a whole grain in whatever form it is found. 

Tiny grains of Teff

 Since it is a nutritional powerhouse, people with special dietary considerations and many professional athletes enjoy including Teff in their diets. Not only does this ancient grain have a delicious flavor, but also it is gluten-free, and provides the body with readily available, easily-digested protein and high quality complex carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and fiber. 

An 8-ounce serving of teff seed

An eight-ounce serving of teff  provides 32% of the RDA for calcium, 80% RDA for iron, and contains 28 grams of protein. Teff is low in fat (4 grams per 8-ounce serving), high in fiber (36 grams per 8-ounce serving), and is a good source of niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, zinc, magnesium, copper, manganese, boron, phosphorous and potassium.  

Grinding Teff into Whole Grain Flour

Ground into flour, teff is extraordinarily versatile.   In Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisines, it is used to make traditional large flat sour dough called injera.This bread is cooked on one side, and full of air-bubble holes on the other, much like an English crumpet. Injera has a nutty, tangy taste that complements most flavors, particularly the exotic spices of  this African cuisine. A variety of spicy entrées, and a wat or thick vegetable stew are served on top of the bread. 

Injera, a teff flour sour dough bread

 Instead of cutlery, pieces of injera are used to scoop up the various dishes, often from a central platter. 

Coming soon: An Excellent Appetizer 

"Teff-stuffed Mushrooms"