Together with wheat, rye and several important forages, like Russian wildrye and crested wheatgrass, barley belongs to the tribe Triticeae.
Barley is “winter hardy” and is able to survive in the frost of cold climates. It is used as a cooked cereal, or a hull of the kernel is removed by abrasion to create pearled barley (commonly used in soup).
Additionally, barley may be incorporated into breads pilafs of stuffing, or it may be used for malt production.
Production of malting barley ranks second after animal feed. It requires high quality grains that are not easy to produce everywhere but maintains or even increases its central position to supply the malting industry’s requirements.
In order to create malt, the barley grain is soaked in water to sprout the germ, and produce an enzyme that hydrolysis (break down) starch to a shorter carbon chain, maltose.
Maltose is then used to feed yeast and produce CO, and ethyl alcohol, since it is fermentable carbohydrate.
The alcohol and CO2 are important for brewing alcoholic beverages and for baking.
Dried malt is used in a variety of products including brewed, baked products, breakfast cereal, candies or malted milks.
Barley is one of the most healthful cereal grains human eat. Beta glycan type of fiber found in the barley kernel delivers a host of positive benefits to the human body.
Consumer following a gluten-free diet must avoid malt and should read ingredients labels to determine whether malt is an ingredient of a particular food product.
Medical researchers from all over the world have determined that a diet rich in barley greatly reduces plasma cholesterol and other blood lipids, and because of the unique qualities of its starch barley consumption also helps individuals maintain lowered blood sugar levels.
Barley is often used in animal feed – for pigs and cattle (not poultry beverage barely is a grain lower in starch than other grains such as wheat or corn). Its importance as an animal feed has increased over the years and barley is now one of the most important feed crops in temperate areas.
Barley for human consumption
