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Article Source: Idaho family sees demand grow for Ethiopian flour - Idaho Business Review
Known globally as the Ethiopian superfood, and roughly the size of a poppy seed, teff flour is growing much larger and quite rapidly in stature as an alternative food choice for those seeking a gluten-free staple of their diet.
For the past 40 years from right here in Idaho, The Teff Company, a locally based, family-owned operation, has been producing and supplying some of the highest quality teff in the world.
Its latest offering is organic ivory teff flour, a product that provides consumers with gluten-free options for baking and cooking.
And with demand for teff expanding in the health-conscience and gluten-free segments of the food world, production of the highly nutritious grain continues to flourish for farmers located throughout Idaho, as well as Washington, Nevada, California and Arizona.
Marketing Director Royd Carlson said the company, originally based in Caldwell, and now with one central processing facility in Boise, remains committed to meeting the increasing demand for natural, organic and clean-label products.
“It’s quite important for us to provide a healthy alternative for people,” Carlson said. “Teff will not induce diabetes like other refined flours, and we’re passionate about providing an alternative to some of the more mainstream processed foods.”
Native to the Horn of Africa, teff, according to some estimates, became a domesticated crop as far back as 4000 B.C.
High in protein, iron, calcium and fiber, teff is the primary ingredient for injera, a spongy, fermented flatbread and staple of Ethiopian cuisine that is typically eaten about three times a day.
But its beginnings and introduction to the farming communities of the Gem State happened only four decades ago.
According to Carlson, his father, Wayne, a biologist who studied at the University of California Santa Cruz, traveled to Ethiopia in the 1970s as part of a group that set out on a mission to help eradicate a fresh-water parasite impacting local farming communities.
Impressed by the culture and cuisine of the locals he was assisting, he returned stateside and soon realized the climate and geology of the Snake River Valley shared many similarities with those of the East African Rift.
His father, Carlson said, recognized a huge opportunity to not just work with local Idaho farmers, but to provide teff to Ethiopian populations that had settled in Washington, D.C., and other parts of the country as a means to escape famine and political unrest in their home country.
“Those who initially came to the U.S. from Ethiopia were relying on pancake mix and other flours to produce their injera,” Carlson said. “It’s not the same for those who know the true value of teff.”
From there, the idea his father planted for The Teff Company sprouted and has been growing strong the past 40 years.
“We feel there is a lot of room to grow as we spread awareness,” Carlson said. “It’s pretty exciting to me how enthusiastic people get about teff. Once they learn the attributes of teff they typically become pretty excited to purchase some.”
For Carlson, who earned his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree from the University of Queensland in Australia, eating healthy remains a vital component for living a long life, he said.
“During my time in Australia, I saw a lot of people hospitalized due to what I would call poor diets,” he said.
Today The Teff Company works with about 20 growers spread throughout Idaho and the Western U.S., regions considered highly suitable for commercial teff production.
But growing and producing teff is not as easy as one might think. Because of its minute size, the grain can be tough to process.
However, the difficulty that can be found in processing teff with the standard equipment typically used for wheat and other grains provided Carlson’s brother, Gareth, his own “opportunity for growth.”
A mechanical engineer by trade, Gareth has used his engineering skills Carlson said to develop machinery that helps streamline the processing operation and keeps the family business flourishing.
And now with about 25 employees helping to manage the family’s teff production, Carlson said he hopes the popularity of the grain will continue to expand.
“It’s pretty exciting to me how enthusiastic people get about teff,” he said. “We definitely feel there is a lot of room to grow as we spread awareness.”
Considering teff originated in a land roughly 8,500 miles from Idaho in one of the 10 largest countries in eastern Africa, Carlson said the teff table is set for an expanding market in both Idaho and nationwide.
“It’s really a neat story that the state of Idaho can be proud to play such a big role as the producer of this important grain,” Carlson said.