Teff grain 1kg

Teff is a tiny, round, khaki-colored grain closely resembling millet. Its scientific name is Eragrostis, teff. "Teffa", the Amharic word for "lost", is so named because of teff's small size. It is the smallest grain in the world and often is lost in the harvesting and threshing process because of its size.

This naturally gluten free grain is now grown in Europe, and its gluten free status is protected from cross contamination in the growing and harvesting phase. This is the grain from which our prescription approved Teff flour is produced by very fine milling in a gluten free environment. A single grain of wheat weighs the same as 150 teff grains! Because they are so tiny, it is not possible to remove parts of the grain and it will therefore not lose any of it's fibre when processed. Teff is well known by Ethiopians and Eritreans for its superior nutritional quality. It contains 11% protein, 80% complex carbohydrate and 3% fat. It is an excellent source of essential amino acids, especially lysine, the amino acid that is most often deficient in grain foods. Teff contains more lysine than barley, millet, and wheat and slightly less than rice or oats. Teff is also an excellent source of fiber and iron, and has many times the amount of calcium, potassium and other essential minerals found in an equal amount of other grains.Teff is well known by Ethiopians and Eritreans for its superior nutritional quality. It contains 11% protein, 80% complex carbohydrate and 3% fat. It is an excellent source of essential amino acids, especially lysine, the amino acid that is most often deficient in grain foods. Teff contains more lysine than barley, millet, and wheat and slightly less than rice or oats. Teff is also an excellent source of fibre and iron, and has many times the amount of calcium, potassium and other essential minerals found in an equal amount of other grains.

It is considered a complete protein because it contains all 8 essential amino acids. It's high calcium content is a great plus for coeliacs, but phosphorus, iron, copper, aluminium, barium and thiamin are also present in high levels. Also lysine levels in teff can beat wheat or barley, hands down and it's iron content is four times greater than that of wheat flour -another great boon for coeliac sufferers!If you have the misfortune to also suffer from diabetes, then teff can by double useful as it can assist with controlling blood sugar levels.

WHAT CAN YOU USE IT FOR?

~These seeds can be added to baking or sprinkled on top of bread

~or used in salads to obtain the full nutritional benefit of this amazing crop. Teff can be sprouted too! See below for details

~add grains to soups and stews to thicken them and add nutrients, either cook them first or just add to soup for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.

~allow it to ferment for three days to make injera bread

~make porridge with it

~mix it with onion, garlic, herbs, seeds etc, to make a lovely tasting vegetarian burger

~throw it in with the vegetables in a stir fry to increase the protein content

~cooked it can be used as an accompaniment to a meal in place of rice in a pilaf

~cooked you can make into patties or sausage shapes after being mixed with meat (or bean curd for a vegie option)

~prepare home brewed gluten free beer/alcohol

WHY SPROUT SEEDS?

A sprout is the stage of a plants life cycle between being a seed and becoming a plant. A common everyday example of a sprout that can be found in most supermarkets is the bean sprout which is often used in stir-fries.The seed can be fooled into sprouting by simulating conditions that are favourable to seed germination; this is done by soaking the seeds in water for a number of hours.

Before a seed has been sprouted it contains enzyme inhibitors; these enzyme inhibitors prevent the seed from growing. The unsprouted seeds when eaten are harder to digest as the enzyme inhibitors hinder our own bodies enzymes from digesting the seed. Sprouting de-activates the enzyme inhibitors present in the seed and makes it easier for our body to digest the seed. Because sprouting makes it easier for our bodies to digest the food we are able to gain more nutritional value from the sprouted food when compared to the same food in unsprouted form.

HOW TO SPROUT TEFF SEEDS

Place about a tablespoon of firm, unbroken seeds in a wide-mouthed jar. Cover the mouth with a piece of muslin fabric, cheesecloth, or clean nylon stocking. Add some water and swizzle them about to clean them. Then pour off the water. Do this several times to get them clean of dust as some dust will dry like a cement coating. Soak the seeds in room-temperature water overnight and drain them in the morning. Rinse them two or three times daily never leaving more water behind other than a damp coating. Keep them in a low-light area, or, if it is hot, place them in the refrigerator (this will delay sprouting for several more days). After about 4 days the seeds will start to split and grow. Move them to good light to activate the chlorophyll. Once they start turning green you can start munching away.

HOW TO COOK TEFF?

Place about 1/2 cup of teff in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. Add some salt to taste if desired and bring the water to the boil, then cover and simmer for about 20 mins. By this time the water will have been absorbed and the teff will be tender. Remove it from the heat and let it stand for a few mins before using.

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Price: £ 3.70

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