VOA新闻杂志2022--东非谷物画眉草在美国越来越受欢迎

East African Grain ‘Teff’ Grows in Popularity¹ in US

An ancient grain native to the Horn of Africa, called teff, is growing in popularity in the United States. It is being grown in the American West and Midwest. Growers note its increasing appeal as a "super food" that is rich in iron.

One of those farmers is Tesfa Drar. He grew up helping² his parents raise teff in what is now Eritrea.

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.

Tesfa said, "I decided³ to bring 20 pounds [of teff] from home and I planted it at the University of Minnesota, where I was studying." He added, "From there, I gave it to different colleges and universities for research."

Tesfa now grows the grain in northern Nevada. His company Selam Foods sells it online on a website that shares cooking suggestions for injera and information about the history of teff. The grass is one of the oldest domesticated⁴ plants in the world.

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

In recent years, more farmers are reacting to the growing demand for foods that do not have gluten in them by planting teff. Land committed to teff production "has exploded" in recent years, reports the University of Nevada-Reno. It estimates⁵ the crop is grown in at least 25 U.S. states.

Down the road from Tesfa's place, at Desert Oasis⁶ Teff and Grain in Fallon, John Getto and his son Myles say they are growing "ancient grains for modern tastes." They sell a lot of teff to buyers in California and smaller amounts locally or online.

"Nevada has the perfect climate for teff, which is the nice part," Myles Getto said. "It is hot. Very, very hot. Very little rainfall, but we do irrigate⁷ our teff. It's just a good climate to grow teff in."

University of Nevada-Reno researchers are working to develop shorter, more drought⁸-tolerant kinds of teff. 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.

Cushman said, "As the western United States is getting drier and drier due to global climate change, we felt it important to make an investment⁹ in some alternate¹⁰ crops."

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

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

"I wanted to grow something besides cattle food," said Dexter. He has grown wheat, barley¹¹ and alfalfa. 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."

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.

"Teff can be used for making cookies, for making pancakes, porridge, and you can make it for pizza," Tesfa said. "... Now we are working with Pizza Hut to provide them gluten-free teff so they can make it for pizza."

Words in This Story

domesticated – adj. : adapted over time (as by selective breeding) from a wild or natural state to life in close association¹² with people

casino – n. a building used for gambling¹³, a game of chance in which the goal is to win money

gluten – n. a protein especially in wheat that is important to making bread but that some people avoid eating

irrigate – v. to supply crops and plants with water

drought – n. a long period of time during which there is very little or no rain

1 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 domesticated   

adj.喜欢家庭生活的；（指动物）被驯养了的v.驯化( domesticate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He is thoroughly domesticated and cooks a delicious chicken casserole. 他精于家务，烹制的砂锅炖小鸡非常可口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The donkey is a domesticated form of the African wild ass. 驴是非洲野驴的一种已驯化的品种。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 estimates   

估计

参考例句：

• Unofficial estimates put the figure at over two million. 非官方的估计数字为200万以上。
• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 oasis   

n.（沙漠中的）绿洲，宜人的地方

参考例句：

• They stopped for the night at an oasis.他们在沙漠中的绿洲停下来过夜。
• The town was an oasis of prosperity in a desert of poverty.该镇是贫穷荒漠中的一块繁荣的“绿洲”。

7 irrigate   

vt.灌溉，修水利，冲洗伤口，使潮湿

参考例句：

• The farmer dug several trenches to irrigate the rice fields.这个农民挖了好几条沟以灌溉稻田。
• They have built canals to irrigate the desert.他们建造成水渠以灌溉沙漠。

8 drought   

n.旱灾，干旱，久旱

参考例句：

• The plants are growing in again,despite the drought.尽管干旱，植物又长出来了。
• The ground is as hard as stone after the drought.长期干旱后土地硬得就像石头一样。

9 investment   

n.投资，投资额；(时间、精力等的)投入

参考例句：

• It took two years before I recouped my investment.我用了两年时间才收回投资。
• The success of the project pivots on investment from abroad.这个工程的成功主要依靠外来投资。

10 alternate   

adj.交替的，间隔的；v.（使）轮流　　

参考例句：

• He and I clean our room on alternate days.我和他隔日轮流打扫我们的房间。
• That was a week of alternate rain and sunshine.那是晴雨天交替的一周。

11 barley   

n.大麦，大麦粒

参考例句：

• They looked out across the fields of waving barley.他们朝田里望去,只见大麦随风摇摆。
• He cropped several acres with barley.他种了几英亩大麦。

12 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

13 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。