The Teff is an annual grass with a
fibrous root system, an upright stem and a cob type
inflorescence. In the great part of the varieties a single plant
can produce up to 5000 kernels from which the Teff flour is
made.
Teff beans can be white, red or mixed. Depending on its
use derives white or dark flour.
In Ethiopia, the place of
origin, white beans are considered the finest ones.
The white
Teff’s flour has a rather sweet and delicate aroma, which
reminisces of that of chestnut.
The dark Teff’s flour,
instead, has a rustic and decisive taste, similar to that of
hazelnut. Both varieties, light and dark, release an embracing
and slightly toasted aroma. Teff’s grass can be preserved for
many years without being seriously damaged by harmful insects,
which are common in storage, and is tolerant to water
stagnation.
Teff belongs to the food category
of
cereals. The binomial nomenclature of the only cultivated
species where the Teff’s straws come from, which are used to
obtain the flour, is “Eragrostis Teff ”.
The name Teff comes
from the root Ethio – Semetic “tff”, meaning “lost” and it
refers to the ease with which the beans can be dispersed, that
is caused by their small dimensions (about 0.8 mm of diametres).
In Table 1, the scientific classification is
shown.
|
Domain |
Eukaryota |
|
Kingdom |
Plantae |
|
Division |
Magnolio-phyta |
|
Class |
Liliopsida |
|
Order |
Poales |
|
Family |
Plantae |
|
Subfamily |
Chloridoideae |
|
Gender |
Chloridoideae |
|
Classe |
Eragrostis |
|
Species |
E.Teff |
Genetic studies indicate that the first cultivations of the Teff were from 4000 BC to 1000 BC in the Ethiopian land and in the southwest of Arabia where it was used especially for its beneficial and therapeutic properties. The first quality cultivated was seemed to be a wild ancestor of the Eragrostis Pilosa.
Teff remained at the base of the
Ethiopian diet for over 3000 years and only in the last ten years it
has achieved a continuous growing interest in international level.
It’s yet unknown in the Western, but together with other alternative
cereals, it can become a widespread consumption food.
Teff is a grass cultivated in Ethiopia and in
a small part of Eritrea, where it has originated and where it has
diversified.
Teff’s seed is extremely resistant to all
occurences, dehydration, heat, humidity and mold. Normally
considered, it preserves its germination capacity for at least four
years, but sowing started from even older kernels does not give any
kind of problem.
Although most of the sowing and processing is
done manually, there has been a progressive mechanization of these
processes. The mechanized harvesting is simple and perfectly
organized and equiped, in order to avoid large crop losses.
Il Teff is a naturally gluten – free
cereal and, by definition, whole wheat.
In fact, the tiny
dimensions of the seed (0.8 mm of diametres) don’t allow the
separation of the peel’s germ, so the whole seed is kept in the
flour grinding.
This results in much richer nutritional
values, shown in Table 2.
Having a higher percentage of bran and germ compared to
other cereals, Teff’s flour preserves, moreover, an elevated
fibre content. Thanks to this characteristic, it’s an ideal
ingredient for celiac and diabetic people, who usually search
for food rich of these nutrients for their diet. The insoluble
fibres are, in fact, also useful to regularize the sugar
absorption. Thanks to the complex carbohydrates that it
contains, it’s a low glycemic index food, thus indicated not
only for diabetic subjects, but also for those who want to lose
weight.
In addition to the high fibre intake, Teff’s flour is
a source of vitamin, amino acids and proteins. In fact, it
contains all the 8 essential amino acids and, particularly, it’s
rich of albumin, the primary protein of plasma. Therefore it
arises as an excellent alternative to eggs for those who follow
a vegan diet. Teff also owns the highest quantity of lysine and
thiamine compared to barley, wheat and any other grains.
Its
tiny and tasty seeds make the cereal five times richer of
potassium, calcium, phosphorus and a type of iron easily
assimilable, useful for who desires to increase the sports
performance.
In the Ethiopian diet the Teff represents
about two – thirds of daily iron assumption and is principally used
to make different kinds of enjera (a kind of flatbread), porridge
and animal feed. Teff is also used to make a local alcoholic drink
called arak'e or katikalla and a local beer called t'ella or fersso.
The straw is used to strengthen the mud with which the wood walls of
the buildings are plastered and also for feeding the cattle.
In
the Western society, given the continuous search for healthy food
able to satisfy the nutritional needs, Teff is the undisputed
candidate for conquering the food market.
It will be helpful for
celiac people, for diabetic people, for ever growing vegetarians and
vegans, as well as for the children and athletes. As a matter of
fact, many believe that the Ethiopian people’s high sports
performance in long distance races can be attributed to Teff,
consumed as a part of their daily diet. It can also be a basic
nourishment for all the people looking forward to achieve or
maintain an ideal weight. Teff, in fact, thanks to the presence of
complex carbohydrates and fibres, is able to control the hunger
stumulus.
Moreover, it is indicated for all of those who suffer
health problems related to the intestinal functions: it prevents
colon inflammation, it’s antioxidant and it stimulates the
regularity.
Mixed with other food, Teff can also be used in
pediatric nutrition.
Teff flour has many other uses mostly in the
pasta and in the baked goods sector. It can be used to produce the
Injera, a spongy and sourish bread, with a distinctive flavour due
to the slow fermentation, or to make bread, pizza, crackers,
biscuits, breadsticks, cookies, muffin, pancake, waffle, various
desserts, soups, porridge, sauces and puddings. An excellent
substitute of cornstarch, being composed of a very low glycemic
index, equivalent to 26 (versus 85), and a slower retrograde.
Cooked Teff can be mixed with vegetables, legumes and tofu for the
preparation of vegetarian hamburger. The seeds can be sprouted and
used in salads and raw grains can replace nuts or sesame.
The Italian Luxury Taste srl cares for the TEFF
flour distribution, produced in Ethiopia with TEFF cultivated in
Ethiopia, in full respect of the traditions and the origins of the
product, in front of the assurance to propose a food, one of its
kind, which can count on health characteristics and the absence of
contamination of the cultivation land, on the systems, an elevated
technology, and on operative methodology, adequate and attentive,
connected to the processing. A set of elements that allow to enhance
the organoleptic properties and the typical superfood
characteristics of the Product.
Italian Luxury Taste
srl is an exclusive distributor of the TEFF flour in close
collaboration with the only certified manufacturer present in
Ethiopia. It is the first exporter of this product, based in the
Central African country.