Meet the Grain: Teff

Teff (Eragrostis tef, also known as ‘the grass of love” in Greek) is an ancient grass that was among the first plants grown as food between 4,000 BC and 1,000 BC in Ethiopia.  

Teff comes from the word “teffa” in Amharic which means “lost” because of the small size of the grain.  The seeds are less than 1 mm in diameter and 3,000 grains only weighs around 1 gram.  It is the smallest grain compared to all other types of wheats or grasses.

Teff grain is gluten free and has higher calcium and iron than common wheat.  In addition, Teff has high fiber and protein content because of its whole grain usage.

When mixed in bread, it has an earthy, chocolate, and coffee-like aroma with slight hints of molasses and hazelnut.