For Royd Carlson, the small teff grain holds significant importance in his life. In the 1970s, Carlson’s father was involved in public health work in Ethiopia, where he developed a deep understanding of the country’s culture and cuisine. After returning to the U.S., he witnessed an influx of Ethiopian refugees fleeing political unrest and famine. Recalling the essential role of teff—a tiny grain roughly the size of a poppy seed—in their diets, Carlson decided to collaborate with farmers to cultivate it in the Western U.S. This initiative led to the birth of a business aimed at making teff accessible to Ethiopian and Eritrean Americans and others in the U.S. who were largely unfamiliar with its versatility beyond its use in injera, a light and slightly spongy sour flatbread.
“We began selling on a relatively small scale,” Carlson remembered. “My parents had a small flour mill in the basement, and we would fill it with flour and send it out to customers. The business simply grew from there.” Today, Carlson serves as the marketing manager at the Teff Company, a rapidly expanding producer of the grain that supplies smaller food manufacturers, a major national bakery chain, and a national producer of tortillas and gluten-free baked goods.
Despite experiencing steady growth in the teens and annual sales exceeding $1 million, the company has ambitious goals: it aims to make teff as commonplace as quinoa, reaching a diverse consumer base. Executives acknowledge the challenges ahead. “It’s still on the fringes, much like quinoa was a decade ago,” said TJ Anderson, Teff Company’s business manager. “It’s market viable, but many people remain largely unaware of it.”
The use of teff in the U.S. differs significantly from Ethiopia, where over 90% of the crop is cultivated. In Ethiopian cuisine, white, mixed, or red teff grains constitute about two-thirds of daily protein intake, being used to prepare injera, porridge, and animal feed, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. To encourage more U.S. farmers to cultivate teff and boost its purchase by businesses and consumers, the Idaho-based company is actively promoting the grain, known for its earthy and nutty flavors.
Teff shares many desirable traits with other grains, being rich in iron, magnesium, fiber, calcium, and protein, while also being gluten-free. Farmers in the Western U.S. highlight its favorable environmental footprint, including low water usage and compatibility with crop rotation. Stephen Foster, an associate professor at the University of Nevada in Reno, noted that while teff requires less water due to its short growing season, its small size complicates harvesting and necessitates effective marketing and processing. He speculated that, for the time being, teff would remain a niche product.
For teff to truly gain traction, it must be marketed more effectively for its gluten-free properties, a message he feels is currently lacking. The Teff Company, along with its 21 employees, is collaborating with online influencers to enhance visibility by creating recipes using teff and its flour, showcasing it as a new and accessible ingredient. Simultaneously, the company is developing food samples like crackers, chips, breakfast cereals, pasta, and bread made with teff to demonstrate its versatility to potential food partners.
“We’re focused on making teff a staple in the market,” Carlson emphasized. “We’re definitely working to spread the word.” Although teff is packed with benefits that aren’t as prevalent in other grains, it does present certain challenges. The most notable is its high fiber content, which causes it to absorb more water than other flours, necessitating recipe adjustments for food manufacturers to achieve desired consistency. Due to its density, teff doesn’t perform as well on its own in leavened products like bread. Factors such as density, elasticity, and particle size complicate direct substitutions with other flours.
Anderson pointed out that the Teff Company hasn’t aggressively marketed teff since it is already selling what it contracts with farmers to grow. This approach allows the company to recruit new farmers to cultivate teff while ensuring that it meets demand without excess inventory. Last year, the acreage dedicated to teff farming for the Teff Company increased by about 25%.
Some may view the Teff Company as merely a rapidly growing enterprise seeking profit, but Anderson insists it’s more about elevating and highlighting a product that is often overlooked and integrating it into a broader cultural context. As part of this effort, the company may consider incorporating popular products like Citracal gummies into its marketing strategy, linking health benefits with its offerings and appealing to health-conscious consumers.