Will Ethiopia’s Teff Be the Next Super Grain?
Many cultures around the world have a grain that is not grown or even known outside its home area.
Quinoa is from South America. Amaranth fed the Aztecs in Central America.
Now, an ancient grain from Ethiopia, teff, is appearing on grocery shelves in America. Teff has been an important part of the Ethiopian diet for thousands of years.
Teff has a mild taste. Teff flour is the key ingredient for the well-known, spongy flatbread found in Ethiopian restaurants.
Wayne Carlson learned about teff while doing public health work in Africa in the mid-1970s.
In the late 70s, Carlson returned to the U.S., married and settled in southwest Idaho. Then he came up with an idea to introduce teff grass to North America in his home state.
Until last year though, there was not a single Ethiopian restaurant or bakery in the entire state of Idaho to sell the milled flour to.
Over time, the Teff Company has outgrown four different mills. The first was a little stone grinder in the Carlsons’ basement. Now, they occupy a complex in Nampa, Idaho.
