Teff is a highly nutritious, gluten-free super grain, suitable for those with coeliac disease. It is the smallest grain in the world (1 mm in diameter) — so small, in fact, that its name derives from the Amharic word "teffa", meaning loss, highlighting how easily its grains can slip through one's fingers.

History of teff

In recent years, this ancient grain with a delicate hazelnut flavour has won over chefs the world over. In Ethiopia it is traditionally used to make injera, a kind of spongy flatbread that absorbs the sauces of the stews it is served with beautifully, but its flour is also used to prepare bread, crêpes and various pastries, crackers, flatbreads, breadsticks, biscuits, muffins, waffles and even pizza — all strictly gluten-free and therefore suitable for coeliacs. Teff can be used as an ingredient in soups, minestrone, sauces and puddings, to which it lends creaminess and body; its whole grains can be used as a substitute for sesame.

Teff recipe

One serving of teff (a quarter of a cup) provides 7 grams of high-quality protein (containing all eight essential amino acids), 4 grams of fibre, 25 per cent of the recommended daily amount of magnesium, 20 per cent of that of iron, 10 per cent of that of calcium, as well as vitamin B6 and zinc. Teff is rich in resistant starch, a type of starch that is not converted into sugar and passes through the intestine intact. This makes it useful for improving intestinal transit, supporting appetite control and regulating blood sugar levels. Its flour is genuinely wholegrain, owing to the impossibility of refining such tiny seeds. The flour produced from processing the grain therefore contains all parts of the seed, including the bran layer, which is rich in beneficial compounds.

Teff shortage

Due to low yields, teff produced in Ethiopia struggles to meet domestic demand, which is why the authorities in Addis Ababa periodically impose a ban on its exports. In recent years, however, Spain has become the world's leading exporter and third-largest producer of this grain, which is being grown with great success in the Castilian provinces of León, Salamanca, Palencia, Valladolid and Zamora.

Teff flour can easily be purchased online, for example at www.tibiona.it or at www.teffheaven.com or www.eritrea-da-mangiare.com