Teff (Eragrostis tef) is our millet-of-the-month in November. Teff is native to the Horn of Africa, and a staple in that region - often eaten in the form of injera bread, made with fermented teff flour.

Ninety percent or more of grain teff is grown in Ethiopia. However interest in this grain has led to its being grown in other regions, including in North America (certain parts of the US, the northwest in particular it seems). Some teff is exported from Ethiopia, but most of what one sees in some US groceries is grown domestically (Maskal, Bob's Red Mill, Selam, Shiloh Farms, to name a few). Supposedly, Idaho is the second largest producer of grain teff in the world.

Brown teff seems more common, but there are lighter varieties too, generally called "ivory teff." The former has a somewhat more robust flavor, but the two apparently have different characteristics in baking. 

Teff has also become a popular forage crop in the US and Canada. It is grown for hay or grazing apparently in half the US states, although presumably on relatively small scales.

Here are a few links for more information:

* General information

** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teff

** https://www.britannica.com/plant/teff

** https://foodrevolution.org/blog/teff/

* Teff in the US

** https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/east-african-grain-teff-grows-in-popularity-in-us/6508044.html

** https://boisedev.com/news/2022/09/09/whats-teff-idaho-second-highest-producer-of-the-grain-in-the-world/

* Culinary aspects of teff

** https://creativeinmykitchen.com/all-about-teff-the-ancient-grain-gaining-popularity/

** https://www.thespruceeats.com/teff-gluten-free-whole-grain-3376844

* Forage

** https://forages.osu.edu/sites/forages/files/imce/Teff%20for%20Forage%20Production.pdf

* A perspective on teff in Ethiopia

** https://theconversation.com/ethiopia-needs-to-improve-production-of-its-golden-crop-teff-heres-how-112987 

Don Osborn, PhD

(East Lansing, MI, US)

North American Millets Alliance