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Ingredient

Teff

Cereal Grains, Pseudocereals and Pasta

A tiny, nutrient-dense grain native to the Ethiopian highlands, ground into flour and fermented over several days to make injera, the sour flatbread that underlies Ethiopian cuisine. It originated in the Ethiopian highlands and has been cultivated for its edible seeds since at least 1000 BCE and possibly as long ago as 4000 BCE. The seeds are about a millimeter in length, and teff cooks faster than millet or quinoa, using less fuel.

Facts
Disputed
Earliest Documented Use, From (Year)
from 4000 BCE 2
Sourced to the subject's own accountThe source gives a range rather than a single point: cultivation is confirmed by at least 1000 BCE and possibly as far back as 4000 BCE.
Earliest Documented Use, To (Year)
to 1000 BCE 2
Sourced to the subject's own accountClosing, better-confirmed bound of the same range; see the start-year note.
Origin Region
The Ethiopian highlands 1
Teff
Filter Results1 entry

Injera

Teff
Connections

Used By

Injera, Dishes
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
In the Other Atlases

Originated In

Eritrea

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.

Ethiopia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.

Sources
1. The Oxford Companion to Food
Alan Davidson, Oxford University Press, 2014
  • entry: Teff
    tef (or teff) Eragrostis tef (formerly abyssinica), is the native grain of ETHIOPIA (formerly Abyssinia).
  • Used By: Injera
2. Teff (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • History section
    It has been cultivated for its edible seeds, also called teff, since at least 1000 BCE and possibly as long ago as 4000 BCE.
  • Wikipedia, Teff, Lead section, cultivation
    It has been cultivated for its edible seeds, also called teff, since at least 1000 BCE and possibly as long ago as 4000 BCE.
  • Wikipedia, Teff, Distribution and habitat section
    Teff originated in the Ethiopian Highlands. It is mainly cultivated in Ethiopia and Eritrea.
  • Wikipedia, Teff, Cultivation section, seed size
    The seeds are very small, about a millimeter in length, and a thousand grains weigh approximately 0.3 g
  • Wikipedia, Teff, Cultivation section, cooking
    Teff is similar to millet and quinoa in cooking, but the seed is much smaller and cooks faster, using less fuel.
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