The Magic of Teff

While most Americans have never heard of it, teff is a hard working, high nutrition grain that is worth getting to know. High in protein and B vitamins, it is also gluten free and can either be cooked whole or ground and used in baked goods. It's tiny- roughly the size of a poppy seed.

A few interesting facts about Teff:

• The uncooked grain is 13% protein, making the ground flour particularly useful in gluten free baking (we'll get to that later!)
• Ground teff has a bit of a chocolatey or nutty flavor, which makes it particularly adaptable to recipes with those flavors
• Whole teff can be cooked into a healthy porridge, almost like polenta, and eaten as a side dish
• The Teff Company grows and distributes teff in Idaho; check out their website for ideas, recipes and more
• Teff is used to make the Ethiopian staple injera, a sourdough style flatbread made by fermenting the ground grain, then cooking the batter on a large flat grill called a mitad; the injera is used like an edible utensil to scoop up meats, stews, vegetables and legumes (see photo below)

photo credit: MagicBones/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

If you're not adventurous enough to make your own injera, look for a local Ethiopian restaurant and try it for yourself. {NOTE: in many parts of the US the yeast in the air and/or the teff are not right for making injera, so most injera in the United States is NOT, I repeat, NOT gluten free!!! Many have barley, wheat or other grains added to create the right texture. If you are celiac or even mildly sensitive, I would highly recommend making it yourself or skipping the experience all together.}

So, what do we do with teff?

Excellent question! At Bosco Baking Company we are always trying new things. One of our favorite new products are our graham crackers, which feature teff as one of the primary flours. We have posted the recipe below so you can make them at home. They are perfect for S'mores or for grinding and using as graham cracker crust. A single batch of the recipe will make about 24 crackers (4"x2"). Store crackers for up to 2-4 weeks in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Graham Crackers