Tef

Tef (Eragrostis tef) – also known as Lovegrass – is a poppy seed-sized grain that comes in a variety of colors, from white and red to dark brown. It is able to withstand high heat and bright light and thrives even in unpredictable and difficult climates. Tef grows predominantly in Ethiopia and comprises the staple grain of the cuisine. Ground into flour, teff is used to make the traditional bread, injera. This flat bread – not as thick as a pancake but not as thin as a crepe – is slightly sour and nicely complements the exotic spices found in Ethiopian cuisine.

The word tef is thought to originate from the Amharic word teffa which means lost, due to the small size of the grain). Tef's history can be traced back thousands of years to the ancient civilizations of Abyssinia. This grain was also placed in the pyramids together with pharaohs as food for their last journey.

Tef Trivia:

• Eragrostis tef borrows its name from Greek, to mean "the grass of love" from eros (love) love, and agrostis (grass).
• Three thousand grains of tef weigh one gram.
• Tef is the smallest grain in the world. It takes about 150 teff seeds to equal the weight of a kernel of wheat!
• Teff is extremely high in fiber, iron, and calcium.

For some great tef recipes visit Purdue University or The Teff Company. For an easy and tasty injera recipe visit Cooking Light.com.