To listen to the audio version
of this secret
please click the play button when it appears:
TOPIC:
"Ancient Grains Series
- Teff or T'ef"
The word “Teff” comes from the Ethiopian t’ef and its botanical name “Eragrostis tef” is a blend of the Greek words eros, which means “love” and agrostis, which means “grass”, hence giving Teff the common name of Lovegrass.
One theory about the origin of the word t’ef, some saying it came from the native Ethiopian Amharic word “teffa” meaning lost, as if one tiny grain is dropped, finding it is difficult. Another theory says that the word originated from the Arabic word “tahf”, which is the name for a closely related wild grass.
Despite the controversy about its origins, to Ethiopians Teff is a highly prized cereal crop, ranking as the most important of all cereals produced in that country. This tiny but mighty grain is the nutritional cornerstone of the Ethiopian nation and provides nearly 2/3rds of their protein requirements.
Legends concerning Teff extend as far back as 100 BC, but cultivation of this crop is thought to be considerably older than that.
There are more than 2,000 strains of this important cereal grass within Ethiopia with seed
color varying from ivory to dark reddish brown. The seeds are almost microscopically small, in that five of them can easily fit on the head of a pin.
The crop produces a fine-stemmed straw, which is excellent fodder, and much preferred over straw from others cereals by the farmers working oxen.
Special care and skill is necessary when growing Teff as the young seedlings are very fragile and delicate. Teff can easily be suffocated by competing weeds until it’s nearly full grown.
There are many other grains more easily cultivated and harvested than Teff, but over thousands of years Teff has held its status as Ethiopia’s premier edible seed crop because it is highly tolerant to drought. This makes Teff a reliable cereal for an unreliable climate and therefore a low risk crop because Ethiopia has just a single rainy reason which can be erratic and unpredictable. Because of its resistance to drought, farmers can depend upon grain production in both good and bad rain reasons.
Commercial grain production of Teff was started by two American entrepreneurs (Wayne and Elizabeth Carlson) who wanted to supply American Ethiopians with their beloved grain for bread.
From a nutritional standpoint this tiny seed is a powerhouse rich in carbohydrate energy and protein. Teff contains a remarkably high mineral content exceeding that of most other grains. These tiny grains contains phosphorus, magnesium, boron, copper, calcium, zinc and manganese and the iron content in this mineral packed seed is twice or three times greater than what is
found in wheat, barley or grain sorghum.
Teff is also a good source of vitamins, containing niacin, riboflavin and thiamin.
There are many different ways to consume Teff and in Ethiopia it is eaten as a soup and porridge as well as being brewed into a native beer.
However, by far the greatest use of Teff is in the making of the famous
enjera, which is THE Ethiopian daily staple food. Enjera is the Amharic name for the giant Ethiopian pancake, about two feet in diameter, which is the beloved food amongst all the peoples of Ethiopia, making up 92% of the rural diet.
Enjera is a thin crepe with a slightly sour flavor, cooked by pouring in a thin layer on a slightly concave clay griddle, over a very hot fire, and served at room temperature with all kinds of dishes.
In the preparation of enjera, the Teff flour is fermented for 1-2 days by a complex of micro-organisms that include bacteria, molds and yeasts and it is said that in times of food shortage, the intake of one Teff enjera supplies enough essential amino acids to sustain life without any other protein source.
Because Teff is gluten-free, it’s not suitable for making leavened breads, but it offers a tasty,
full-flavored alternative to wheat in the form of crepes, waffles, quick breads, cakes, cookies, muffins or dessert baked goods.
This ancient grain whose cultivation is thousands of years old has become the new gourmet flour in a health conscious cook’s modern kitchen.
I hope you've enjoyed this simple health
"secret", compliments of SolvingTheHealthPuzzle.com
where you'll learn simple "secrets" every week about how to live a healthier
and more toxic-free life.
* Need content? You may use this article at your website, or in
your newsletter.
The only requirement is inclusion of the following sentence: Article by Asia Moore of SolvingTheHealthPuzzle.com.
Dedicated to helping you solve your own health
puzzle, naturally.
Please visit our home
page often to see newly added health related products and information!
