The story of Michigan-made Teffola, a vegan and low-gluten variety of granola, is one of adaptability.
The nutty, crunchy granola is preservative-free and made with oats, buckwheat, maple syrup, cinnamon, cranberries and nuts and seeds.
What makes Teffola granola different is that it also uses the ancient grain teff. This high-protein grass seed is primarily grown in Africa. If you are a gluten-free or low-gluten baker, or are familiar with Ethiopian cuisine, you've probably heard of teff or teff flour. It's the main ingredient in the fermented flatbread injera.
The teff in Teffola, however, is grown in Michigan. Teffola founder Claire Smith's father has 2,300-acre farm — which has been in the family for seven generations — just south of Jackson where they've primarily grown corn and soybeans. She said around 2013 prices of those two crops started to fall. Shortly after, her dad learned about teff from a friend who travels often to Africa.