## 1 Introduction  
Teff (_Eragrostis teff_ (Zucc. [PERSON] [PERSON]) is a nutritious cereal indigenous to Ethiopia and Eritrea. According to the Ethiopian Central Statistical Agency report, teff represents the most important crop in terms of cultivation area and production quantity in the country. Approximately 3 million hectares are dedicated to the cultivation of teff, giving approximately 5.4 million tons of production with a yield of 17.56 quintals per hectare [1]. As reported by [PERSON] et al. [2], the high adaptability of teff allows its cultivation in very different environmental conditions, characterized by high and low production input, impacting its composition. Teff is widely used for making injera (a fermented traditional bread considered a staple food), a sweet unleavened bread called _Kitta_ and a porridge by either mixing with other cereals such as wheat, maize, rice and barley, or alone [3]. However, teff has been underutilized for decades due to the lack of adequate knowledge on its nutritional and health benefits. Recently, having discovered the absence of gluten in teff, this crop is grabbing the attention of researchers and food processing industries for the formulation of foods, particularly for celiac patients [4, 5]. The cultivation has therefore recently expanding to several other countries such as South Africa, the Netherlands and the United States [6]. Besides, consumer awareness of the health benefits of whole grains has led to a growing demand for healthier cereal [7; 8]. Considering the nutritional characteristics, teff contains more than 70% carbohydrate, 9-13% protein, 2-3% fat, 2.0-3.5% fiber and 2.7-3.0% ash [9]. The mineral content, especially of iron, calcium and magnesium, is also higher than that of most common cereals including millet, rice and oat [10]. On the other hand, amaranth is an underutilized crop that has recently gained popularity due to its numerous agronomic and nutritional properties. It is recognized as a drought-resistant crop and is hence suitable for different environmental and climatic conditions [11]. From the nutritional point of view, amaranth contains fat (7.5%), carbohydrate (60-68%), ash (2.5-3.1%) and a high protein content (14.0-15.5%) in comparison to staple cereals such as wheat, maize and sorghum. According to [PERSON] et al. [12] and [PERSON] et al. [13], a wide variability in fiber content was observed for different amaranth varieties, that could suggest the need for selection procedures to find the most promising varieties. Moreover, amaranth shows a balanced amino acid profile and fulfils the requirements of the human diet for the majority of the essential amino acids [14]. Like teff, amaranth is also a gluten-free pseudo-cereal that can potentially be used as ingredient for gluten-free formulations [15]. Amaranth grain may be processed in various forms, such as popped, toasted, cooked, flaked, extruded and grinded into flour to be mixed with other flours for making bread, pasta, injera, porridge and instant drink with improved nutritional and technological qualities [13]. Previous studies on both teff and amaranth demonstrated the occurrence of variability in physicochemical properties among known varieties, which influence product nutritional value and technological applications [3; 13]. There is a growing interest in the lipid fraction of flours, which can affect the health status and the oxidative stability of derived processed food. Moreover, the search for bioactive compounds such as squalene with multiple bio-functionality (antioxidant, antitumor, etc.) in underutilized plants is gaining attention in the global cosmetic industry [16]. The present paper assessed the variability in fatty acids profile, crude fat and squalene content and lipid quality of seven varieties of teff (_Eragrostis teff_ (Zucc.)