Question 1

True or false: Teff is a major ingredient in traditional Japanese miso soup.

Accepted Answer

False. Miso soup uses soybeans and rice or barley; teff is not part of Japanese cuisine.

Question 2

True or false: Teff contains no gluten and is safe for people with celiac disease.

Accepted Answer

True. Teff is naturally gluten-free, making it a popular alternative for those with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease.

Question 3

True or false: Teff is a key ingredient in making the fermented Ethiopian flatbread called injera.

Accepted Answer

True. Injera is a spongy, sour flatbread made from teff flour, a staple in Ethiopian cuisine.

Question 4

True or false: Teff is the smallest grain in the world, with over 3,000 seeds weighing just one gram.

Accepted Answer

True. Teff seeds are indeed tiny—about 1/100th the size of a wheat kernel—making it the smallest grain by seed weight.

Question 5

True or false: Teff was first cultivated in South America over 5,000 years ago.

Accepted Answer

False. Teff originated in Ethiopia, not South America, and has been cultivated there for thousands of years.

Question 6

True or false: Teff is a type of wheat commonly used to make Italian pasta.

Accepted Answer

False. Teff is not wheat; it's an ancient gluten-free grain from Ethiopia, primarily used to make injera flatbread.

Question 7

True or false: Teff can only be grown in volcanic soil at high altitudes above 8,000 feet.

Accepted Answer

False. Teff is adaptable and grows in various climates, including lowlands, though it thrives in Ethiopia's highlands.

Question 8

True or false: Teff is exceptionally high in iron, with a single cup providing over 80% of daily needs.

Accepted Answer

False. Cooked teff contains about 3.7 mg of iron per cup, only ~20% of the daily value (18 mg). Even a cup of raw teff, an unusually large serving, would barely reach 80%, so the claim exaggerates.

Teff Trivia Questions