Teff Flour
What it is
Flour from teff (Eragrostis tef), the smallest cultivated cereal grain in the world — so tiny it's milled whole, making it always a whole-grain flour. Ivory to dark reddish-brown. Gluten-free.
How it's made
The minuscule seeds are milled whole (separating bran from such tiny grains is impractical), so teff flour is inherently nutrient-dense, high in iron and calcium.
Flavor profile
Mildly nutty, slightly molasses-like and sweet in dark teff; lighter and milder in ivory teff.
Culinary uses
Above all, injera — the spongy, sour Ethiopian/Eritrean flatbread fermented (with a starter, ersho) until bubbly, then poured and cooked on one side so the surface erupts with the characteristic "eyes." Also Ethiopian kita and porridges, and increasingly gluten-free Western baking. The fermentation provides leavening and the signature sourness; teff's fine starch yields injera's soft, slightly elastic, sponge-like body.
Regional variations
Ethiopia and Eritrea are the heartland; teff is now grown in the U.S. and elsewhere for the gluten-free market. Injera styles vary by region and by how much teff vs. other grains is used.
Cultural & historical context
Teff is ancient (domesticated in the Ethiopian highlands millennia ago) and central to Ethiopian and Eritrean identity — injera is the edible plate and utensil of the shared communal meal, torn and used to scoop stews (wat). Eating with injera is itself a cultural practice of community and hospitality.
Reference notes
Tags: `cereal`, `gluten-free`, `teff`, `whole-grain`, `fermented-application`. Related ingredients: [Sorghum Flour], [Millet Flour]. Related cuisines: Ethiopian, Eritrean. Suggested links: → Injera, → Fermentation, → Ethiopian wat.