Teff is the main ingredient for preparing injera, the popular Ethiopian fermented flatbread.  It is a healthy wheat alternative that is high in resistant starch, a newly-discovered type of dietary fiber that can benefit blood sugar, colon health and weight loss.

Teff is an ancient species of grass native to Ethiopian/Eritrea, that is cultivated for it's edible seed and usually made into flour.  These seeds are about the size of a poppy seed but are packed full of fiber and calcium. 

Most Teff is grown in Eastern Africa, but the State of Idaho produces some of the best quality Teff in the world! 

 Teff Seed Bread
Author: Chef Christina Murray
Serves: 2 loaves
 
Ingredients

• 2 cups unsalted sunflower seeds (see note)
• ½ cup unsalted pistachios (see note)
• 2 cups gluten-free oats
• 2 cups hemp hearts
• ½ cup chia seeds
• ½ cup roasted sesame seeds
• ½ cup Maskal Teff® ivory flour
• ½ cup Maskal Teff® brown flour
• 2 tablespoons golden flaxseed, ground
• 2 ¼ teaspoons salt (see note)
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 ½ cup water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread sunflower seeds and pistachios evenly on a baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, hemp hearts, chia seed, sesame seeds, teff flours, and golden flax. Add cooled, toasted sunflower seeds and pistachios and salt.
3. In a separate container mix together olive oil, maple syrup, and water.
4. Gradually drizzle the liquid over the dry ingredients. Gently fold until well combined.
5. Divide between 2 parchment-lined loaf pans, and place both on a baking sheet.
6. Bake for 30 minutes and then gently flip loaves out onto the baking sheet.
7. Bake for another 25-35 minutes or until golden brown. Best stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer, for optimal freshness.

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​A jebena is the elegant Ethiopian/Eritrean coffee pot that makes and serves coffee in the traditional buna  ceremony (in Eritrea it's bun).
The Jebena is usually made out of clay, wide-bottomed with a long, narrow neck and a handle where the neck connects with the base.  
The Ethiopian jebena has a pouring spout while the Eritrean variety pours from the opening on the top.
When the coffee boils up through the jebena's neck, it is poured in and out of another container to cool it. The liquid is then poured back into the jebena until it bubbles up. 
 When the coffee is poured, a strainer, often made of horsehair, is put inside the neck to keep the coffee grounds from escaping. 
The result is dark, somewhat bitter, piping hot coffee.  And, remember, jebena buna is never drunk alone! 

Injera and Wat

Ethiopian cuisine is best known for the sourdough flatbread called injera. Injera is about 20 inches in diameter and made from fermented teff flour. Teff is called the world's smallest grain and is unique to Ethiopia. No Gluten !!  

But what is injera without wat?  Wat is the hot, spicy stew that is served on top of the injera.  There are lots of different varieties of wat: chicken, beef, lamb, vegetarian, lentils or ground split peas. If you order the restaurant's variety plate, you'll be sure to get a few kinds. Eat it with your fingers by tearing off a piece of injera and dipping it in the wat.​

Shiro:
Shiro might look like slop, but it's amazing!  Made with chickpea or bean puree', it's a vegetarians delight.  With added onion, garlic, and whatever spices are used in that region,  this simple dish  comes alive.

Gomen Kitfo:
For another vegetarian delicacy, gomen kitfo is made from collard greens that are boiled, dried, and then chopped and served with butter, chili peppers, and spices.

Tibs:
 There are many varieties of this dish depending on the type and size of cuts of meat used, but it's basically meat and vegetables saute'ed together.  Like in many Ethiopian dishes, the main spice used in tibs is berbere, a combination of powered chili pepper, cumin, coriander, and cardamon.
​

What is so special about Ethiopian Coffee? Ethiopian coffee is considered to be some of the best in the world, due to it's high altitude growing conditions and the ways that the beans can be processed.

The coffee plant averages from 5-10 meters in height and is grown in rows, several feet apart.  Heavy rain is needed as the fruit is developing, and less later as it ripens.  The harvesting period can be anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months, and in some places continuing all year round.

The coffee bean is a seed of the coffee plant and is the source of coffee.  It is the pit inside the red fruit, often referred to as a cherry.  The cherries began as green, turn yellow, and finally red in color. 

Ethiopia, the birthplace of Arabica coffee, is the world's seventh largest producer of coffee. Surprisingly, half the coffee produced there is consumed by the Ethiopians themselves!  Coffee is important to the Ethiopian economy as 15 million Ethiopians rely on some aspect of  coffee production for their livelihood. 

​There are 2 ways that Ethiopian coffee is processed to enhance it's flavor...….
Sun-dried: where the cherry is sun-dried around the coffee bean before being removed 
Washed:  where the fruit is removed from the bean within 12 hours of picking
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So, support Ethiopian coffee.  Buy it; drink it; and be part of a rich history of tradition!

As a teacher, kids are never very far from my mind!  In these days of the pandemic, I find myself thinking a lot about how the kids of this world are dealing with all the craziness! 

​I often remember the kids I met on The Big Buna Bash's book tour (which was only six weeks ago but seems like ages).  At my book events we made coffee-bean candles as coffee is one of my book's themes.  

There are many art projects that can be done with coffee beans, or any beans for that matter.  Here is a great site with some ideas to get you started! www.playideas.com/25-bean-crafts-for-kids/

Kaiden K. is in the 5th grade and loves books!  He loves them so much that he started a blog that encourages kids to read.  This week he added The Big Buna Bash to his list of multi-cultural books.
www.twilighters.org/big-buna-bash/?fbclid=IwAR2jgWhiQQw8hLXPiZpcI2turP0Al7F-ybyyN-mny0DbBBzKJKNiM2FnlVM