Barley:a legacy from the Stone Age?
Article Content:
- .Basic Botanical Info of Barley.
- .Barley and its classification.
- .Barley Nutrition and Phytochemicals.
- .Barley Brief History.
- .Barley Keeps You Healthy:Health benefits and concerns.
- .Suggestions and Administrations.
- .Research Update:Barley extract.
Barley and its classification.
Barley's been feeding humans for millennia, though it fell out of favor during the last one as people came to see it as low-brow peasant fare. It's most often used in soups and stews, where it serves as both a puffy grain and a thickener, but it also makes a nice side dish or salad. At most markets, you'll have to choose between two types of barley. Hulled barley is the most nutritious, since only the tough outer hulls are polished off. Pearl barley is polished some more, so that the outer bran layer is also scrubbed off. It's less nutritious, but more popular since it's not as chewy as hulled barley and it cooks faster.
Varieties:
barley flakes = rolled barley = flaked barley Notes: To make this, barley kernels are sliced, then rolled flat into flakes. Like rolled oats, rolled barley is usually served as a hot cereal. It takes about 30 minutes to cook. Substitutes: rolled oats OR other rolled grains
barley grits Notes: These are barley kernels that have been toasted, and then cracked into smaller pieces in order to speed up the cooking time. They're a bit hard to find. Substitutes: buckwheat grits OR hominy grits
black barley = Ethiopian black barley Notes: This is similar to pearl barley, only it has a black exterior. Substitutes: pearl barley
hato mugi = pressed barley = Job's tears Notes: Look for these large, pressed barley kernels in Asian markets. Substitutes: pearl barley (slightly smaller)
hulled barley = barley groats Notes: This is the least processed form of barley, with just the outermost hull removed. While it's chewier and slower to cook than more processed forms of barley, it's rich in fiber and really good for you. Look for it in health food stores. Substitutes: pot barley (less nutritious, better flavor and texture) OR pearl barley (even less nutritious, even better flavor and texture; smaller, cooks more quickly) OR barley grits (takes less time to cook) OR whole white buckwheat groats
pearl barley = pearled barley Notes: This is the most common form of barley, but not the most nutritious. While hulled barley loses only the thick outer hull in the milling process, pearl barley is stripped of the nutritious bran layer as well, leaving just the "pearl" inside. Despite this, it's still fairly nutritious. It takes about an hour to cook. Substitutes: hato mugi (slightly larger grains) OR arborio rice (not as chewy) OR orzo OR buckwheat groats (Works well in pilafs.)
pot barley = Scotch barley Notes: This isn't as heavily processed as pearl barley, in that the endosperm is left intact, along with the inner pearl of the kernel. It takes about an hour to cook. Look for it in health food stores. Substitutes: pearl barley (Lacks endosperm, takes less time to cook.) OR hulled barley (more nutritious, gritty texture)
pressed barley See hato mugi.
quick-cooking barley Notes: This is similar to pearl barley in taste and nutrients, but it only takes about 10 minutes to cook since it's been pre-steamed. It's often served either hot as a side dish or cold in a salad. Substitutes: pearled barley
sprouting barley Notes: This is unrefined barley, used for making barley sprouts. Don't try to cook with it--it's got a very thick hull.
Varieties:
Barley is sold in several forms. Most of the barley eaten in the U.S. has been milled to remove the bran. It is possible, however, to find less-refined forms, mostly at health-food stores.
Flakes (flaked barley): Like the rolled oats they resemble, barley flakes are grains that have been flattened.
Grits: More similar to bulgur than to corn (hominy) grits, these barley grains have been toasted and cracked into small pieces.
Hulled barley: This form of barley is not as widely available as the other types, but its superior nutrient content makes it worth seeking out (try a health-food store). Because only the outer, inedible hull, and not the bran, is removed, hulled barley is rich in dietary fiber. It also contains more iron and trace minerals than pearled barley--and more than four times the thiamin. The grains are brown, and they take longer to cook than pearled barley.
Pearled (pearl) barley: To produce these uniform, ivory-colored granules, the barley grains are scoured six times during milling to completely remove their double outer hull (called the spikelet) and their bran layer. Unfortunately, as with white rice, this process also removes nutrients. The thorough milling, however, shortens the grain's cooking time considerably.
Quick barley: An instant form of pearled barley, this cooks even faster because it is precooked by steaming. It is no less nutritious than regular pearled barley.
Pot barley (Scotch barley): A less-refined version than pearled, pot barley is milled just three times, so that part of the bran layer remains. Although some supermarkets carry this form, it is more likely to be found in health-food stores.
Reference:
1.Barley:a legacy from the Stone Age?
Statistics
Spectrum
FAQ
Of Herbs