Barley

Barley is a member of the grass family and is a major cereal grown in temperate climates.  It was one of the first grains to be grown by humans. Possibly 13,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent. The wild ancestor of domesticated barley is found in grasslands and woodlands of the Fertile Crescent and northeast Africa. Fourth largest cereal crop grown in the world today though a lot of the barley is not for human consumption.

From The Bible comes the story of the feeding of the 5000. The people were fed barley bread (made from barley flour). Barley bread is commonly eaten today in Middle Eastern countries, Eastern Europe and Russia.

In the USA half the barley production goes to livestock. 25% goes to brewing beer and whiskey.  In Italy barley is also used as a coffee substitute. The barley is roasted and then ground and used instead of coffee for health and economic reasons.

Nutritional value of 100 gm of raw barley.

Carbohydrates 77.7g

Sugars 0.8g

Dietary fiber 15.6g

Fat 1.2 g

Protein 9.9g

Also contains 10% water

Contains every vitamin and mineral. Main ones being Vit B3, Vit B6, Magnesium, Manganese and Phosphorous.

The Canadian and USA government health spokesmen have recommended 3g per day of barley in order to lower blood cholesterol. Eating whole-grain barley also improves regulation of blood sugars and improves digestive health.

Barley Flakes are common in health food shops and supermarkets. The grain is steamed, rolled and then dried. Barley flakes can be made from whole grain barley or from pearl barley.  They cook faster because they have been steamed and they have a greater surface area. They look like rolled oats.

Barley is eaten after being hulled. The hull is the tough, inedible, fibrous outer layer of a grain.  After being hulled it is now a whole grain containing a bran and germ.

Barely meal/flour is made from whole grain barley. Is darker than wheat meal. Commonly eaten in soups or stews. In Australia barley flour is normally found in health food shops.   

Pearl barley means it has been polished to remove the outer bran layer. The more bran removed the whiter it looks. Although technically it is a refined grain it is considered healthy because a lot of the bran is distributed throughout the kernel (not just the outer layer) and still remains after the grain has been pearled. Pearl barley cooks quicker than whole grain barley. Whole grain barley contains more fiber and bran than pearled barley.

Barley lowers cholesterol. Why? Barley contains a soluble fiber called beta-glucan (so do other whole grains). This fiber lowers cholesterol levels by reducing the absorption of cholesterol and fat into the bloodstream. Studies show that ingesting barley lowers total cholesterol level, lowers LDL level, and lowers triglycerides. No effect on HDL levels. The more barley eaten the bigger the effect.

How much barley do you need to eat in order to notice an effect? A cup of cooked barley or half a cup of barley flakes in the food you prepare. (According to the USA FDA)  This is per day. Every day.

Barley flour can be used in baked goods instead of plain white flour. Ideally look for whole grain barley flour made from hulled barley, not from pearl barley. Barley flour contains gluten but probably not enough. Depending on what you are making you may need to add gluten if using solely barley flour.

Barley grains can be cooked and eaten with a meal. Cooking barley is similar to cooking rice.  Put the grains in a pot of water/broth and bring to the boil. Simmer until water is absorbed. Cooking time will vary depending on grain, water, pans.  The grain is cooked until you think it is tender and tasty. You may need to add more water when cooking or drain away the excess water when finished. Soaking the grains before cooking speeds up cooking times.

A guide for barley is one cup of grain to three cups of water to cook for 45 to 60 minutes. This gives you 31/2 cups of cooked grain. If uneaten the cooked grain can be stored in the fridge and re-heated later.