Teff
A tropical plant. A drought resistant grass. It grows in places with a distinct dry season. It grows best at about 2000 m altitude in Ethiopia. The temperatures are about 25-28°C. It is grown from 1700 m to 2800 m. Brown teff is grown at the higher locations. The rainfall in this region is about 950-1000 mm. It can be grown with rainfall of 400 mm. Soils should be permeable. It can tolerate frost. It can grow in arid places. In Argentina it grows between 1,200-1,300 m above sea level.
Also known as:
Bousa, Ersho, Ethiopian lovegrass, Injara, Injera
Synonyms
- Eragrostis abyssinica (Jacq.) Link
- Poa abyssinica Jacq.
- Poa tef Zuccagni
Edible Portion
- Seeds, Cereal
Where does Teff grow?
Found in: Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Germany, Ghana, Guyana, India, Indochina, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, New Caledonia, North Africa, North America, Pacific, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, United States, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Notes: The seeds have high food value. There are about 300 Eragrostis species. It is gluten free. It is a C4 plant. It contains no gluten.
Status: A staple food in some parts of Ethiopia. It is mostly eaten by the wealthier people. It is a cultivated food plant. It is grown on 2.5 million ha.
Growing Teff
Cultivation: Teff is best grown in fallowed land or after legume crops. Land preparation needs to be very thorough. A fine firm weed free seed bed is needed. Seed are mostly broadcast. Driving sheep or cattle over the land is used to trample in the seed. 25-30 kg of seed per hectare are recommended. Nitrogen fertiliser is recommended. It is usually harvested with sickles.
Edible Uses: Seeds are ground into flour and cooked in a variety of ways. It can be used in stews. They are used to make unleavened bread. This is called injera in Ethiopia.
Production: It is fast growing. Plants take between 90-120 days for early varieties and 120-160 days for late maturing varieties. Yields range between 300 and 3000 kg per hectare. Seeds can be stored for many years as a reserve food supply.
Nutrition Info
per 100g edible portion| Edible Part | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | Iron (mg) | Vitamin A (ug) | Vitamin c (mg) | Zinc (mg) | % Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeds | 368 | 8.9 | 9.9 | - | - | 20 | 9.3 |
Teff Photos
References
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