What Is Teff? The Tiny Ancient Grain Behind Injera
What is teff? The world's smallest grain, an ancient gluten-free staple from Ethiopia behind injera bread. Its nutrition, history, and how to cook it.
What is an ancient grain?
Cereal grains and pseudocereals that have stayed largely unchanged through thousands of years of cultivation. Modern wheat has been bred into a handful of high-yield varieties. Ancient grains preserve the genetic, nutritional, and flavor diversity our ancestors relied on for millennia.
Start with a Popular Grain
The grains we get asked about most. Each links to a deep-dive guide with history, nutrition, cooking, and where to buy.
Einkorn
The oldest cultivated wheat (10,000 BCE). Diploid genetics, gentle gluten, easier on sensitive bakers.
Spelt
The most beginner-friendly heritage wheat. Substitutes for bread flour with minor tweaks.
Quinoa
Andean pseudocereal with a complete amino-acid profile. Gluten-free, 15 minutes to cook.
Teff
The world's smallest grain. Gluten-free, iron-rich, the foundation of Ethiopian injera.
Buckwheat
Not a wheat. Gluten-free pseudocereal with a deep, malted flavor. Soba, kasha, galettes.
Oat
The most versatile cool-climate cereal. Beta-glucan rich, naturally gluten-free if certified.
Latest from the Blog
What Is Spelt? The Ancient Wheat, Explained
What is spelt? An ancient wheat (Triticum spelta) with a nutty flavor, easier digestibility for some, and real gluten. Its history, nutrition, and how to use it.
What Is Millet? The Ancient Gluten-Free Grain, Explained
What is millet? A family of small, gluten-free ancient grains eaten by billions. What it is, where it comes from, its nutrition, and how to cook it.
Home Grain Mills: Mill Your Own Flour
Nothing beats the flavor and nutrition of freshly milled flour. These are the best home grain mills for every budget and every ancient grain on this page.
Best Electric
NutriMill Impact
Compact high-speed electric mill from NutriMill, the brand most home bakers buy. Stainless-steel milling heads grind any whole grain into fresh flour in seconds. Quiet enough for daily baking, fine enough for delicate einkorn or teff.
Best for KitchenAid Owners
KitchenAid Mill Attachment
Metal grain mill attachment that mounts to any KitchenAid stand mixer. If you already own one, it's the cheapest way into home milling: no countertop space, no second appliance. Adjustable burrs from coarse to fine.
Best Hand-Crank
Country Living Grain Mill
Built like a tank: cast aluminum body, hardened steel burrs, lifetime warranty. No electricity needed. Grinds any grain including corn and dried legumes. A serious homesteader's mill that lasts generations.
Best Compact Hand-Mill
WonderMill Junior Hand Mill
Compact hand-crank mill for flour, wheat, and gluten-free grains, nuts, seeds, oily foods, and spices. Adjustable burr settings deliver coarse to fine flour without electricity.
Best Budget
Victoria Manual Grain Mill
Cast-iron hand mill under $50, clamps to any countertop. Surprisingly effective for small-batch milling of softer grains like einkorn, oats, and buckwheat. Great entry point before investing in an electric mill.
As an affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. We only recommend mills we've researched and would buy ourselves.