Herb: Tef


Latin name: Eragrostis tef


Synonyms: Eragrostis abyssinica, Poa abyssinica


Family: Gramineae (Grass Family)



Edible parts of Tef:

Seed - cooked. It is used as a cereal for making bread and as a fermented food. "Enjera" is a fermented pancake-like bread that is a made from this grain in Ethiopia where it is a staple food. The bread is spongy, soft, thin and sour tasting. The seed is very small but easy to harvest. Protein content is around 13%.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Annual


Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
August to
September

Habitat of the herb:

A casual on waste ground in Britain.

Propagation of Tef:

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse, only just covering the seed. Germination is usually very quick and free. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant out after the last expected frosts. The seed can also be sown in situ in late April, but in cool summers this might not give a long enough growing season to ripen the crop.

Cultivation of the herb:

A casual on waste ground in Britain.

Medicinal use of Tef:

None known

Known hazards of Eragrostis tef:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.