teff

American  

[tef] / tɛf /

noun

1. a grass, Eragrostis tef, native to the Horn of Africa, where it is cultivated for its edible seeds.

2. the edible seeds of the grass Eragrostis tef.

3. Sometimes teff flour a flour made from the edible seeds of the grass Eragrostis tef, used especially in the cuisine of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

---

Etymology

Origin of teff

First recorded in 1780–90; from Amharic t’ef; compare Geez t’ah’əf, t’ayəf

Example Sentences

At an elevation of about 2500 meters on Ethiopia’s Amhara plain, villagers conduct an ancient ritual—harvesting delicate stalks of teff by hand.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 26, 2024

The researchers used five flours that included gluten: unbleached all-purpose flour, red turkey wheat, emmer, rye and einkorn; and five gluten-free flours: teff, millet, sorghum, buckwheat and amaranth.

From Science Daily • Oct. 11, 2023

Other high-protein foods include nutritional yeast; whole grains like teff, quinoa and oats; nuts and seeds; and a diversity of fruits and vegetables.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2023

We then agreed to try the teff, kernza, oat and cornmeal varieties, until nearly every loaf had been trimmed and the slices sectioned into morsels slathered with butter that melted on contact.

From New York Times • Mar. 6, 2023

Sour bread, made from teff, barley, and wheat, is eaten with a stimulating pottage of onions, red pepper, and salt.

From The Highlands of Ethiopia by Harris, William Cornwallis