Barley is one of the major cereal grains cultivated in regions with optimizer temperate climates. The grains of Barley is widely used in the production of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Alcoholic beverages include beer and whisky while non-alcoholic beverages are comprised of barley tea and Barley water.
Barley is also used as a substitute for coffee in some countries like Italy.
In this article, we will provide detailed information on the ingredients and recipe of Barley tea, its benefits, and its side effects.
So, be with us to know more about the Asian wholesome beverage, ground roasted barley.
Roasted Barley Tea And Its Asian Roots Of Origin
Ask for Boricha in Korea or Mugicha in Japan or Matcha in China, all you will be served is a cup of Barley tea.
Famous among east Asians, this beverage is served in hot or cold water before a meal. With a brownish appearance, the roasted barley grains have a nutty flavor and a strong aroma.
These roasted grains are then used to make barley tea which retains the nutty flavor. The tea is often consumed as it is but some prefer to add sweetener to avoid its light bitter taste.
Barley is most commonly cultivated in Korea, China, and Japan.
Because of its abundance, East Asians have had a long culture wherein they prepare barley tea, irrespective of the prevalent season, and is consumed as a common beverage in every household.
It is so popular that few restaurants offer roasted barley as a substitute for plain water.
A study in China on regional barley cultivation versus cancer mortality suggests that low barley cultivation and consumption give higher cancer mortality.
Ingredients Required for Drinking Barley Tea
Across cultures and communities, beverages, or for that matter any food item, is not only driven by popular taste or the abundance of resources but also the degree of culinary skills required to prepare the item.
Nothing can be as economical and simple as the barley tea recipe.
The following are the only ingredients you need.
- Barley Grains: 2-3 tablespoons
- Water: 3-4 cups
- Honey: 1 tablespoon
Recipe To Prepare A Sweet Cuppa
If you are having a beverage that is a traditional beverage of the East, you must have a good hold on the most authentic recipe.
Follow this simple recipe to make a cup of barley tea any day:
1. Preparation
A. Heating The Pan
Take a pan and make it warm by turning on the heat (medium flame) for 5 minutes. To ensure that the pan is ready for your next step, place your hand well above the surface of the pan.
If it feels warm enough for roasting, you can move on to the next step.
The Barley Grains Roasty-Toasty flavor
The next step in the process entails adding 2-3 tablespoons of raw barley grains. Roast the grains until they change their color into a deep brown shade. Once you achieve this, you turn off the flame.
Ensure that you don’t overdo it. If the grains start to turn black, you will know that you have overdone them.
You must store the grains constantly with a wooden spatula so that the grains are roasted from all sides and angles.
This way you can also avoid burning the grains using. Like wheat, It contains gluten, so those on a gluten-free diet should avoid barley tea.
2. Making Your Cuppa
The next step requires you to put a teapot on the stove and pour 3-4 cups of water.
Without wasting a minute, add the roasted barley grains to the barley water and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.
As Mark Twain said unless it is whiskey, “too much of anything is bad”, the same applies here.
Don’t put on a strong flame to quicken the process. Too much flame may cause the flavor to be too strong.
Unless you want your cuppa to be too bitter, you might want to stick to this recipe as much as possible.
3. Serving The Tea
Once the tea is ready, turn the stove off and filter the tea into a cup.
You can also cover the pot with a lid and let more flavor flow through the hot water if you wish to make your tea stronger.
To soothe your sweet tooth, you can add a tablespoon of honey if needed and serve it hot.
Health Benefits
Roasted barley kernels are the easiest beverage recipe that takes only a few minutes to prepare with minimum ingredients.
But the recipe is renowned globally for its multiple health benefits.
Densely packed with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and add barley tea is more healthy compared to other similar beverages such as tea and coffee.
Also, it is one of the cheapest drinks with negligible side effects.
1. Aids In Digestion
It is dense with insoluble fiber content which helps in the digestion of Barley tea.
If you suffer from indigestion and constipation, Drinking barley tea can come to your aid.
Additionally, people suffering from constipation and looking to increase the uptake of fiber content can opt to brew barley tea regularly.
The science behind this is that the insoluble fiber in the barley will add to the stool, making bowel movements easy.
If you are looking for a natural probiotic or natural antacid, then barley tea is an easy option for your digestive issues.
Research shows that the soluble fibers in barley enhance the growth of the gut microbiome.
This gut microbiome in turn produces short-chain fatty acids that aid in the digestion Barley tea. Therefore, we won’t be wrong if we recognize the effects of barley as being probiotic.
2. Induces Deep Sleep
Disturbed sleeping patterns are the new normal of contemporary times. Working at odd hours and putting their sleep in the back seat often affects the health of an individual.
However, for some, sleep in itself is a struggle and these people are termed insomniacs in medical terms.
Addicted to beverages containing caffeine like coffee, encourages disturbed sleep patterns.
So, here comes barley tea bags saving the day if you are looking for non-caffeine beverages.
Roasted barley does not contain caffeine and can be consumed even before sleep. It helps to reduce stress and anxiety, calms the body and mind, and induces deep sleep.
The science behind this is the amino acid GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) in roasted barley that acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, and thereby, enhances deep sleep.
Besides, the sleep hormone called melatonin is also found in dense quantities in Barley making it a sleep inducer.
So, try a cup of barley tea as a healthy alternative to coffee if you are struggling with insomnia.
3. Promote Weight Loss
Gaining weight is easy but losing those extra pounds might be difficult for many. With so many healthy low-calorie alternatives available ready-made in today’s market, one should give weight loss barley tea a try.
This is a low-calorie drink, with 123 KJ per 100 grams of barley. The high fiber content in barley keeps one satiated for a long day and curbs hunger cravings.
It also has low sugar content, and that’s an added advantage since sugar only provides added calories. So, make sure to add roasted barley seeds as a beverage option to your diet plan.
4. Healthily Your Heart
A healthy heart reflects a healthy being. However, in modern times, with our fast-paced lives, the need to always keep up has led so many of us to fall into unhealthy habits of having fast food, fasting, and whatnot.
But our hearts can only run so much!
The result is increased heart attacks and other heart ailments. Roasted barley seeds can be a savior to those who want to take a small step towards a healthy heart.
It contains elements that decrease low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (bad cholesterol). These elements are referred to as beta-glucans.
Furthermore, roasted barley raises the blood concentration of the good cholesterol known as high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
The soluble fiber in barley also helps in maintaining blood pressure, indirectly facilitating a healthy heart condition.
In other words, it tackles the two most common ailments that affect the heart high blood pressure and high cholesterol level making tea a holistic beverage for a healthy heart.
Begin your day with a glass of tea if you would like to enhance your heart health.
5. Anti-Cancer Properties
Cancer is destroying many families, as people watch their loved ones lose the battle of life to cancer. The phrase “Prevention is better than cure” applies perfectly to cancer.
Cancer is an outcome when our body’s natural immune system fails to eliminate the free radicals generated in the body efficiently.
These free radicals then react with DNA causing the activation of cancer genes in the body.
The result is outgrowths called cancerous tumors. As a solution, barley is a food ingredient that works on these free radicals circulating in the body.
The antioxidants in Barley remove the free radicals in the body, thus aiding in the prevention of cancer.
Phytic acid, phenolic acid, and saponins in barley help in the prevention of cancer.
The soluble fiber’s in barley bind to the harmful carcinogenic agents in the gut and help in their elimination.
The insoluble fiber’s in Barley also speed up the process of digestion thus preventing colon cancer.
Drink a cup of tea every day and prevent cancer.
6. Prevents Tooth Decay
Unlike tea and coffee, It is good for oral health roasted barley prevents the growth of bacterial plaques on teeth, thus stopping tooth decay.
It also reduces the levels of lactobacilli and streptococci bacteria in the saliva. So, consuming a cup of tea daily will not affect your oral health in a bad way.
7. Drink A Cuppa To Detox
Due to its detoxifying qualities, roasted barley aids in the body’s removal of toxins.
This vitamin and mineral-packed beverage help in the thorough cleansing of the body.
It also helps in blood purification. This indirectly helps boost metabolism and good brain health
8. Provides Relief To Patients With Anemic Conditions
Anemia is a condition that is often associated with females. Hemoglobin levels are low in pregnant and young adolescents across the world.
With symptoms ranging from weakness, pale skin, fatigue, etc., anemia can even cause death in serious cases.
But tea leaves can help in improving the anemic condition, given their rich iron content. So, for anemic patients, It can be suggested as an essential remedy.
9. Prevention Of Gall Bladder Stones
The gall bladder is an organ of the body that is responsible to produce bile salts for the digestion of fats.
Large gallbladder stones can often cause intense pain and cause interference with the digestion process requiring the doctor to opt for surgery for the removal of the same.
It contains soluble fiber which prevents the formation of such gallstones.
10. Vitamin And Mineral Rich Beverage
This tea is rich in most nutrients. It is rich in Vitamin B1, Niacin, and Vitamin C. Iron, Selenium, Manganese, Zinc, Molybdenum, Copper, and Chromium are some of the minerals found abundantly in Barley.
So, Barley tea is a wholesome drink to replenish the body with all these vitamins and minerals.
Densely packed with nutrients, minerals, antioxidants, and antimicrobial agents, It helps in boosting immunity.
A cup of tea daily can improve the overall immunity of the body thus helping the body fight any infection.
Side Effects
However, every good thing on earth comes with its own set of demerits. Barley tea is no exception.
Here, are a few side effects of consuming barley tea:
1. Celiac Disease
This tea is not good for people who are suffering from Celiac disease which is a severe autoimmune condition brought on by gluten ingestion.
So, how is Barley related to Disease? The answer is barley contains gluten and is harmful to Celiac patients.
2. Prevents Lactation
Breastfeeding mothers are not advised to take Barley tea as it may prevent lactation.
Consult your doctor before having a cup of tea.
3. Presence Of Acrylamide
Acrylamide is one of the cancer-causing agents and is present in Barley.
Known for its anti-cancer properties, It is still under intense research to know more about the role of acrylamide in it.
So, consume roasted barley with caution and balance. Also, roast the barley to a deep brown color to reduce the acrylamide content.
Final Words
As you can see for yourself, It is completely jam-packed with all things good.
You must manage your expectations since any healthy organic food item can not cure any condition as medicines do.
The benefits of cold Barley tea are a result of committing to a long-term habit of drinking it to reap its benefits to a great extent.
So, start drinking roasted barley tea today to live a healthier life tomorrow!
Pingback: 17 Low Calorie Snacks to Eat if You're on a Diet - Fitness Bookz
Pingback: How Much Does a Smith Machine Bar ACCURATE Weight? - Fitness Bookz