VOA新闻杂志2022 埃塞俄比亚画眉草在美国广受欢迎（在线收听）

An ancient grain native to the Horn of Africa, called teff, is growing in popularity in the United States.

一种原产于非洲之角的古老谷物，名为苔麸（埃塞俄比亚画眉草），在美国越来越受欢迎。

It is being grown in the American West and Midwest.

美国西部和中西部在种植苔麸。

Growers note its increasing appeal as a "super food" that is rich in iron.

种植者注意到，作为一种富含铁元素的“超级食物”，它的吸引力越来越大。

One of those farmers is Tesfa Drar.

特斯法·德拉尔就是其中一名农民。

He grew up helping his parents raise teff in what is now Eritrea.

他从小就在现在的厄立特里亚帮助父母种植苔麸。

When he came to the United States for college in 1981, he missed injera, the flatbread made out of teff that is popular in the Horn of Africa.

1981年，当他来到美国上大学时，他想念用苔麸做的薄松饼——“英吉拉”，其在非洲之角很受欢迎。

Tesfa said, "I decided to bring 20 pounds of teff from home and I planted it at the University of Minnesota, where I was studying."

特斯法说：“我决定从家里带20磅的苔麸，然后把它种在我就读的明尼苏达大学。”

He added, "From there, I gave it to different colleges and universities for research."

他还说，“从那时起，我把它交给了不同的学院和大学进行研究。”

Tesfa now grows the grain in northern Nevada.

特斯法现在在内华达州北部种植这种谷物。

His company Selam Foods sells it online on a website that shares cooking suggestions for injera and information about the history of teff.

他的公司塞拉姆食品公司在一个网站上出售它，该网站分享了“英吉拉”的烹饪建议和有关苔麸历史的信息。

The grass is one of the oldest domesticated plants in the world.

这种草是世界上最古老的被驯化的植物之一。

Tesfa farms more than 2,400 hectares of land in Nevada, Minnesota, and in six other states.

特斯法在内华达州、明尼苏达州等六个州拥有超过2400公顷的土地。

His operation in northwestern Nevada is near Winnemucca, a town that has 24-hour casinos as well as a farming community that grows potatoes, alfalfa, wheat and corn.

他的公司位于内华达州西北部，靠近温尼穆卡镇，那里有24小时营业的赌场，还有一个种植土豆、苜蓿、小麦和玉米的农业社区。

In recent years, more farmers are reacting to the growing demand for foods that do not have gluten in them by planting teff.

近年来，越来越多的农民通过种植苔麸来应对人们对不含麸质的食物日益增长的需求。

Land committed to teff production "has exploded" in recent years, reports the University of Nevada-Reno.

据内华达大学雷诺分校报道，近年来，用于生产苔麸的土地面积“激增”。

It estimates the crop is grown in at least 25 U.S. states.

据估计，美国至少有25个州种植了这种作物。

Down the road from Tesfa's place, at Desert Oasis Teff and Grain in Fallon, John Getto and his son Myles say they are growing "ancient grains for modern tastes."

从特斯法的公司沿着这条路走下去，在法隆的Desert Oasis Teff and Grain公司，约翰·盖托和他的儿子迈尔斯说，他们正在种植“迎合现代人口味的古老谷物”。

They sell a lot of teff to buyers in California and smaller amounts locally or online.

他们向加州的买家出售大量苔麸，在当地或网上销售少量苔麸。

"Nevada has the perfect climate for teff, which is the nice part," Myles Getto said.

迈尔斯·盖托说：“内华达州的气候非常适合种植苔麸，这是最好的部分。”

"It is hot. Very, very hot. Very little rainfall, but we do irrigate our teff. It's just a good climate to grow teff in."

“天气很热。非常、非常热。降雨很少，但我们确实灌溉了苔麸地。这正是种植苔麸的好气候。”

University of Nevada-Reno researchers are working to develop shorter, more drought-tolerant kinds of teff.

内华达大学雷诺分校的研究人员正致力于开发更矮、更耐旱的苔麸。

John Cushman, a professor who directs the biochemistry graduate program, said that such research is especially important for farmers in Nevada, America's driest state.

生物化学研究生项目负责人约翰·库什曼教授说，这样的研究对美国最干旱的内华达州的农民来说尤为重要。

Cushman said, "As the western United States is getting drier and drier due to global climate change, we felt it important to make an investment in some alternate crops."

库什曼说：“由于全球气候变化，美国西部变得越来越干燥，我们觉得投资一些替代作物很重要。”

Alternate is a term that means offering a choice or different from what is usual.

Alternate的意思是提供一种选择或不同于通常的选择。

Bob Dexter added teff to his usual crops on his farm along the Carson River.

鲍勃·德克斯特在他位于卡森河沿岸的农场里增添了苔麸作为其常规作物。

"I wanted to grow something besides cattle food," said Dexter.

德克斯特说：“除了牛饲料以外，我想种一些其他作物”。

He has grown wheat, barley and alfalfa.

他种过小麦、大麦和苜蓿。

But he said: "I wanted to raise something that was good food for people to eat. And when I found out about the teff, it looked like a good fit for what we have here to work with in our climate."

但他说：“我想种植一些对人们有益的食物。当我发现苔麸时，它看起来很适合我们这里的气候条件。”

Tesfa Drar said the high-fiber "super food" has global appeal, adding that teff can be used to make all kinds of foods that are popular in America.

特斯法·德拉尔表示，这种高纤维的“超级食物”在全球都有吸引力，并补充说，苔麸可以用来制作在美国很受欢迎的各种食物。

"Teff can be used for making cookies, for making pancakes, porridge, and you can make it for pizza," Tesfa said.

特斯法说：“苔麸可以用来做饼干、薄煎饼、粥，你也可以用它做披萨。”

"… Now we are working with Pizza Hut to provide them gluten-free teff so they can make it for pizza."

“……现在，我们正在与必胜客合作，为他们提供不含麸质的苔麸，这样他们就可以用它来做披萨了。”

I'm John Russell.

约翰·拉塞尔为您播报。