We finally got our papers back today, and I am happy to say I got an A+. Yay!
So, here is my paper, just in case anyone is interested.
Tef
Tef
is an ancient grain which until recently was almost entirely limited
to Ethiopia and Eritrea Tef is a grass, and has the smallest seed of
any domesticated grain. It can be grown in areas that other grains
find inhospitable. Tef has recently caught the attention of those
needing a gluten free diet, as it has a negligible amount of the
protein.
Tef
is the only domesticated member of the large Eragrostis
family
of grasses(Ingram, 2003). It's exact ancestor species is unknown, but
there are a number of similar wild species of eragrostis
that
are gathered during times of food scarcity(National Research Council,
1996). The primary difference between tef and closely related wild
species is that in tef the seed head remains intact at maturity,
facilitating harvesting(Ingram, 2003). Tef has the smallest seed size
of any domesticated grain. This allows a large area of ground to be
sown with a small volume of grain. The straw makes nutritious fodder
for livestock. Tef is adapted to a variety of terrains , but does
especially well in dry uplands, where other crops have trouble.
The
exact time of tef's domestication is uncertain. It appears likely
that some time between 4000 and 1000 BCE was when the grain was
domesticated (Ketema, 1997). It has been speculated that tef may have
been first raised by pastoralists as foster for animals, and only
later became a primary food source for human (D'Andrea,
2011).
Tef is the
overwhelmingly most popular grain in Ethiopia, occupying more than
half the acreage used for growing grains (National Research Council,
1996). Several varieties are grown, with white tef being considered
the best, and red tef the least desirable However, white tef is
trickier to grow, and produces less grain per acre than the red
variety. In Ethiopia, the primary use of tef is to grind it into
flour to make injera(Ketema, 1997). Injera is produced by fermenting
the flour for three days, then fried on one side to make a large
spongy griddlecake. Injera is used to serve food on, and pieces are
used as a utensil to scoop up food.
In 1986, Wayne Carlson
began growing tef in Idaho (Kelly, 03 Oct 2012). While farmers were
skeptical of the value of the crop, he has found a ready market for
tef flour in markets and restaurants that cater to East African
immigrants. Very recently, tef has begun to catch the attention of
those interested in a gluten free diet. This has resulted in
increased demand for tef flour. Tef has a distinctive flavor,
somewhat reminiscent of buckwheat (Hilson, Jan 2010). It is very
high in protein .
Tef is an ancient
grain, but one that has been unknown outside of East Africa until
recently. It is a hardy plant that grows well in semi-arid highlands,
and requires minimal tilling to plant. It is just now beginning to
move beyond it's traditional usage in Ethiopian cuisine. Because of
it has no gluten, it has caught the attention of cooks looking to
expand the available flours for a gluten free lifestyle.
Works Cited
D'Andrea,
A. Catherine, and Wadge, Pamela, “T'ef (Eragrostis
tef):
A Legacy of Pastoralism?”, Windows
on the African Past: Current Approaches to African Archaeobotany,
Africa Magna Verlag Press, 2011.
Hilson, Beth,
”Gluten-Free Flour Power”, Living Without, Jan 2010, 29 Oct 2013.
<www.livingwithout.com/issues/4_1/gluten_free_flour-1073-1.html>
Ingram,
Amanda L., and Doyle Jeff J., “The Origin and Evolution of
Eragrostis
Tef
“, American
Journal of Botany,
vol 90(1), 2003.
Kelly,
James Patrick
, “What
the Teff?”,
Boise Weekly, 03
Oct 2012, 29 Oct 2013.
<www.boiseweekly.com/boise/what-the-teff/Content?oid=2739092>
Ketema,
Seyfu, Tef,
Institute
of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, 1997.
National
Research Council's Board on Science and Technology for International
Development, Lost
Crops of Africa volume I: Grains,
National Academy Press, 1996.
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