Barley Tea

Barley is one of those food grains that are highly valued for their health benefits. It has high levels of soluble fiber and is believed to be beneficial for reducing the levels of blood sugar as well as cholesterol. It is also beneficial for digestive health. Barley is available in many different forms like hulled, hulless, pearl barley, flakes, flour and grits. In hulled version, only the tough outer cover is removed. Hulless barley has some parts of the hull attached to the grains. Pearl barley is the polished version of barley with the hull removed. Even quick cooking varieties of barley are available in the market. Apart from being used in a wide range of food items like breads, cakes, soups and stews, barley is also an important animal fodder. It is also used in the manufacturing of distilled beverages. While barley water is widely used in some countries like Britain, barley tea is one of the popular beverages in certain Asian countries.

Barley Tea Recipe

It is prepared with barley grains, either plain or roasted. This tea is very widely used in countries like Japan, China and Korea. In Japan, it is called mugicha, boricha in Korea and dàmàichá in China. While some people prefer tea made of plain barley grains, the most popular version is roasted barley tea.

In order to prepare the roasted version, all you have to do is to roast barley till the grains get brown in color. Such roasting can be done either on a stove top or in the oven. If you want to roast barley on stove top, take a skillet and roast the grains till they reach brown in color. If you prefer oven, preheat it to 180°C and cook barley for around ten to fifteen minutes or till the grains get roasted properly. In this case, spread the grains on a baking tray for getting it evenly roasted. Once the grains get roasted, you can prepare barley tea. Boil a liter of water and add three tablespoons of roasted barley grains to it. Let it simmer for a few minutes, before removing from heat. Once removed from the stove, let it cool for a few minutes.

This tea can be served both hot and cool. If you like it hot, strain it and serve. Otherwise, strain the tea and refrigerate for some time, before use. You may also add honey or agave nectar for sweetening barley tea. Caffeine is not detected in this tea and this is one of the advantages of this beverage. You may also use plain barley grains for brewing tea, but it may not taste similar to mugicha. Nowadays, barley tea can be prepared with tea bags, which can be purchased from Asian food stores. If you are using tea bags, a single tea bag will be sufficient for a liter of water. Even sun tea can be prepared with barley grains, by steeping these grains few hours, in water kept in sunlight.

Health Benefits

It is believed that this beverage is good for cleansing the body. Some people use it for alleviating the symptoms of urinary tract infections. It is also said to have antioxidant properties and so is good for fighting free radicals, thereby reducing the risk of certain diseases, like, cancer. According to some studies, barley tea, especially, the roasted version may prove beneficial for fighting oral streptococci. It is also said to be good for the cardiovascular system, as it improves the fluidity of blood. It may also help in reducing blood cholesterol and in fighting cold. However, barley tea is not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Even those with gluten intolerance must avoid this beverage as well as other preparations with barley.

Barley tea is one of the best caffeine-free beverages that can be used as a substitute for coffee and tea. You may also reap some of the benefits of barley nutrition by consuming this tea. It is also observed that some people do not like the flavor and taste of barley tea. So, prepare in small amounts and check out the taste. You may also use sweeteners and other additives to make it more palatable.