The Whole Grains Council has declared BARLEY to be the grain of the month of February.
You know barley as that grain floating in canned vegetable beef soup. It’s been a common and healthy part of the human diet since prehistoric times.
Ashnan, the Sumerian Goddess of Barley, was worshiped lest the population starve. Barley was the main food in ancient Mesopotamia and a large part of Roman gladiators’ diet. Although it was one of the earliest domesticated grains, barley is now most often grown as animal feed or to produce malt for alcoholic beverages.
Barley is an important crop in dry, high-altitude areas, particularly in highly saline poor soils where other grains are difficult to grow. It is raised as a human food crop in north Africa, the Near East, the Andes, and the Baltic States.
To prepare barley seeds for cooking, the tough husk around the seed is removed, leaving the bran. The grains may then be malted, a process that involves soaking in water until the seeds germinate, then drying them with hot air. Malted barley is the source of the sugars that are fermented into beer and other alcoholic beverages. When the bran is removed and the interior kernel polished, it is called pearl barley.
Barley has a large amount of fiber, including the solublefiber that helps control blood sugar and reduces the risk of heart disease. Barley can help reduce blood pressure as well as lower plasma lipids (cholesterol).
Barley is firm and chewy; it tastes somewhat nutty. It can be used in place of rice in dishes such as curries, pilafs, risottos, salads and stir fries. You will find it packaged near the rice in the grocery store. Why not cook some up today?
You know barley as that grain floating in canned vegetable beef soup. It’s been a common and healthy part of the human diet since prehistoric times.
Ashnan, the Sumerian Goddess of Barley, was worshiped lest the population starve. Barley was the main food in ancient Mesopotamia and a large part of Roman gladiators’ diet. Although it was one of the earliest domesticated grains, barley is now most often grown as animal feed or to produce malt for alcoholic beverages.
Barley is an important crop in dry, high-altitude areas, particularly in highly saline poor soils where other grains are difficult to grow. It is raised as a human food crop in north Africa, the Near East, the Andes, and the Baltic States.
To prepare barley seeds for cooking, the tough husk around the seed is removed, leaving the bran. The grains may then be malted, a process that involves soaking in water until the seeds germinate, then drying them with hot air. Malted barley is the source of the sugars that are fermented into beer and other alcoholic beverages. When the bran is removed and the interior kernel polished, it is called pearl barley.
Barley has a large amount of fiber, including the solublefiber that helps control blood sugar and reduces the risk of heart disease. Barley can help reduce blood pressure as well as lower plasma lipids (cholesterol).
Barley is firm and chewy; it tastes somewhat nutty. It can be used in place of rice in dishes such as curries, pilafs, risottos, salads and stir fries. You will find it packaged near the rice in the grocery store. Why not cook some up today?
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