I was watching television the other day and on the talk show I was watching they mentioned teff and freekah… guess these people that decided these were going to be a big thing were on to something.
Teff. I'm guessing only a handful of you have heard of it prior to reading my little blog here. Honestly, the first time I read about it I had to google it too. So what the heck is it?! It's a little, tiny whole grain that's a staple in North Africa. Ethiopians have been cooking with it for thousands of years, I think it's safe to say that us Americans are a little late to the game.
Teff is the smallest grain in the world. I haven't tried it myself yet, but it's said to have a mild, nutty flavor. I can't confirm or deny that. I do know that with the rising popularity it will be a little on the expensive side… keeping up with the Jones' nutrition style, if you will.
Here's some good ol' nutrition facts for those of you wondering why you might want to try this out: 1/4 cup has around 180 calories, 1 gram of fat, 37 grams of carbohydrate, 4 grams of fiber, and 7 grams of fiber. Here's where things get interesting though, teff has more calcium than any other grain. A cup of cooked teff offers around 123mg of calcium… which is about the same as in a half cup of cooked spinach. Not only will you find calcium in this little guy, but you'll also find that it's full of vitamin C, something that's not usually found in grains.
Paying attention? Good. Teff is high in resistant starch. I won't bore you with a scientific explanation on that, but I'll tell you that it means that it can help in blood sugar management, weight control, and colon health. That's good news for those of you with diabetes or colon issues. Diagnosed with Celiac? well here's some good news for you too… teff is gluten free.
Now for the important part, how do you make and eat teff? This tiny grain is extremely versatile. You can add it to stews, prepare it as a hot breakfast type cereal, polenta, add it to veggie burgers, cakes, cookies, breads, and other baked goods. What I'm saying is, there's not much you can't do with it.
Next post I'll talk about freekah. Really, I just like saying the name freekah. Until then, happy reading!
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