Fraser McNaul started growing teff in 2014 to diversify his farm. His interest in the grain has grown into Outback Harvest, a company that works with Australian bakeries to increase bread flavour and nutrition through the inclusion of teff. He told us about the tiny grain that packs a big punch.

What is teff?

Teff is a gluten-free grain that originates from Ethiopia and has been used to create their staple food—injera bread—for thousands of years. It is a fantastic allrounder that adds a nice light nutty flavour and wholemeal colour to bakery products while boosting the nutritional value. Gramfor-gram, teff has more calcium than milk and more iron than red meat; it is a lowFODMAP food and contains vitamins K and C, potassium, magnesium, and zinc.

What types of teff do you grow?

We grow two varieties: brown and ivory. They both have very similar nutritional values but vary slightly in flavour; brown teff has a more nutty flavour and the ivory is more earthy.

Why teff?

We started growing teff in 2014 to diversify our farming operation and vertically integrate. Once we learned about teff’s fantastic nutrition profile and its versatility as an ingredient we got to work creating a supply chain to bring this tiny grain to the food industry.

What does teff require to grow?

Teff is a summer crop and enjoys hot dry weather with irrigation, which is why our property in the southern Riverina of NSW is the perfect place to grow it.

When do you have to harvest teff?

Teff is harvested in the autumn with a traditional combine harvester. We don’t process the grain on farm; we use specialised gluten-free facilities to create premium-grade teff flour.

Given that teff has been around for centuries, why has it only just started to take off in Australia?

Acquiring good quality teff has been hard to obtain in Australia at a competitive price, but now that we are producing it locally and have perfected the manufacturing process, this has changed.

What can you make with teff?

Just about anything. The versatility of this ingredient is just as impressive as its nutritional profile. Teff can be used in pastry, muffins, cakes, bread, pasta… the possibilities are endless.

What does teff taste like?

Brown teff is used as an additive in breads to give the loaf a nice wholemeal colour while also boosting the nutrition and adding a nice flavour. Ivory teff is used in products such as pancakes to give a light complexion with added nutrition.

What should bakers and pastry chefs know about teff?

Teff absorbs around twice as much water as wheat flour, so when substituting teff flour into recipes you will need to add a little more liquid than normal to accommodate for the extra absorption.