Difference between revisions of "Barley" - New World Encyclopedia

Latest revision as of 08:08, 20 September 2023

Barley

Barley field

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Liliopsida
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Genus:	Hordeum
Species:	H. vulgare

Binomial name

Hordeum vulgare
L.

Barley is any annual cereal grass of the genus Hordeum, and in particular the species Hordeum vulgare. The term also is used for the edible grain of these plants.

Beyond its own reproduction and development as a plant species, barley also contributes value to human beings. Barley is used as a major animal feed crop, as a popular seasoning, in malting, and in health food. Barley ranks fourth among the cereals in terms of total world production (BarleyWorld 2006). It is a very good source of fiber, selenium, phosphorus, copper, and manganese. Human creativity has resulted in diverse cultivars with preferred properties for various purposes.

Description

Barley is a member of the grass family, Poaceae, one of the largest and most important plant families, which also includes wheat, rice, and sugar cane. There are about 600 genera and perhaps ten thousand species of grasses.

Grasses, like orchids and palms, are monocotyledons. Monocotyledons are one of two major groups of flowering plants (angiosperms), the other being dicotyledons. Monocotyledons have only one cotyledon, or embryo leaf, rather than the two found in dicotyledons. The largest family in the monocotyledon group (and in the flowering plants) is the orchids. However, the most economically important family in this group is the grasses, which include the true grains (rice, wheat, maize, barley, etc.). Unlike dicotyledons, the true grasses are specialized for wind pollination and produce smaller flowers.

Barley is one of the most important and widely consumed cereals produced in the world. It was one of the first crops domesticated for human consumption and can grow in a large number of environmental conditions. Today, it is useful to people all over the world, most importantly in animal fodder, in brewing beer (when it is malted), and to a less extent in human foodstuffs.

Most commonly, barley refers to Hordeum vulgare L., although other species in the genus are also included. There are many varieties of H. vulgare, all of which can be classified as either a spring or winter type. Winter types require a cold period in order to produce flowers and set seeds, and they are planted in the fall. Spring types do not require this cold period, and for best production they are planted as early in spring as the soil allows. When the reproductive phase is reached, the stems elongate and the flowering head (also referred to as the spike or ear) extends upward. The fertile florets on the flowering head contain both male and female reproductive structures; thus, barley primarily self-pollinates (Katz and Weaver 2003). Barley varieties can also be classified according to the number of kernel heads, which determines the fertility of the florets on the plant (see Cultivars below).

The height of a barley plant averages roughly eighty centimeters, though it can vary greatly depending on the variety and growing conditions. Leaves grow along the barley stems, which in most varieties are coated with a waxy chalk-like deposit of varying density. The shape and size of leaves varies depending on growing conditions and barley variety.

Composition

The composition of barley, omitting the salts, is as follows:

Water	15%
Nitrogenous compounds	12.981%
Gum	6.744%
Sugar	3.2%
Starch	59.95%
Fat	2.17%

Cultivars

Barley can also be classified as six-rowed, four-rowed, or two-rowed, referring to the number of kernal rows in the head. This determines the fertility of the florets on the spike (the spike is the structure containing the flowers and later the mature seeds). In six-rowed barleys (traditionally known as Hordeum vulgare) and four-rowed (Hordeum tetrastichum), all of the florets are fertile. In contrast, in two-rowed types (Hordeum distichum) only the central floret of the three at each node is fertile, and thus just two rows of seeds develop on opposite sides of the rachis (central stem).

Barley

Two-row barley is the oldest form, wild barley being a member of this category. Two-row barley has a lower protein content and higher starch content than six-row barley. High protein barley is best suited for animal feed or malt that will be used to make beers with a large adjunct content (those which lack enzymes). Two-row barley is traditionally used in English ale-style beers and traditional German beers, whereas six-row barley is common in some American lager style beers. Four-row is unsuitable for brewing.

Barley is widely adaptable and is currently a major crop of the temperate and tropical areas. It is likely to be susceptible to barley mild mosaic bymovirus as well as Bacterial blight (Brunt et al. 1996).

History of Production

Domesticated barley (H. vulgare) is descended from wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum). Both forms are diploid (having two sets of chromosomes, one maternal and one paternal). As wild barley is interfertile with domesticated barley, the two forms are often treated as one species, divided into Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum (wild) and subspecies vulgare (domesticated). The main difference between the two forms is the brittle rachis (main stem) of the former, which enables seed dispersal in the wild.

The earliest finds of wild barley come from Epi-Paleolithic sites in the Levant (region in the Middle East), beginning in the Natufian. The earliest domesticated barley occurs at Aceramic Neolithic sites in the Near East, such as the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPN B) layers of Tell Abu Hureyra in Syria. Barley was one of the first crops domesticated in the Near East, along with einkorn and emmer wheat. Barley is more tolerant of soil salinity than wheat, which might explain the increase of barley cultivation on Mesopotamia from the second millennium B.C.E. onwards. Barley can still thrive in conditions that are too cold even for rye.

Barley was, alongside emmer wheat, a staple cereal of ancient Egypt, where it was used to make bread and beer; together, these often comprised a complete diet. The general name for barley is jt (hypothetically pronounced "eat"); šma (hypothetically pronounced "SHE-ma") refers to Upper Egyptian barley and is a symbol of Upper Egypt. According to Deuteronomy 8:8, barley is one of the "Seven Species" of crops that characterize the fertility of the Promised Land of Canaan, and barley has a prominent role in the Israelite sacrificial cult described in the Pentateuch (see e.g. Numbers 5:15).

In ancient Greece, the ritual significance of barley possibly dates back to the earliest stages of the Eleusinian Mysteries. The preparatory kykeon or mixed drink of the initiates, prepared from barley and herbs, was referred to in the Homeric hymn to Demeter, who was also called "Barley-mother."

Barley in Egyptian hieroglyphs

jt barley determinative/ideogram

jt (common) spelling

šma determinative/ideogram

Greek practice was to dry the barley groats (whole grains with the husks removed) and roast them before preparing the porridge, according to Pliny the Elder's Natural History (xviii. 72). This produces malt that soon ferments and becomes slightly alcoholic.

Tibetan barley has been the only major staple food in Tibet for centuries. It is made into a flour product called tsampa.

Palaeoethnobotanists have found that barley has been grown in the Korean Peninsula since the Early Mumun Pottery Period (c. 1500–850 B.C.E.) along with other crops including as millet, wheat, and legumes (Crawford and Lee 2003).

Modern Production

Barley output in 2005

Top Ten Barley Producers—2005 (million metric ton)
Russia	16.7
Canada	12.1
Germany	11.7
France	10.4
Ukraine	9.3
Turkey	9.0
Australia	6.6
United Kingdom	5.5
United States	4.6
Spain	4.4
World Total	138
Source: UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO)^[1]

Barley was grown in about 100 countries worldwide in 2005. The world production in 1974 was 148,818,870 tons, showing little change in the amount of barley produced worldwide.

Uses

Oats, barley, and some products made from them.

Half of the world's barley production is used as an animal feed. A large part of the remainder is used for malting and is a key ingredient in beer and whiskey production.

Certain barley varieties, called malting barleys, are developed specifically to possess the chemical properties desirable for malting. In beer production, barley is first converted to malt, which is a better substrate for brewing and is essentially a process of truncated seed germination. This barley malt provides the sugars and amino acids for yeast growth, and the yeast converts the sugars to ethyl alcohol in the fermentation process. The two main steps in the production of beer from barley are malting and brewing, and these steps are carried out by separate industries (Katz and Weaver 2003). Non-alcoholic drinks such as barley water and mugicha are also made from barley. Barely is also used in soups and stews, particularly in Eastern Europe. A small amount is used in health foods.

Barley must have its fibrous outer hull removed before it can be eaten. Barley grains with their hulls still on are called covered barley. Once the grain has had the inedible hull removed, it is called hulled barley. At this stage, the grain still has its bran and germ, which are nutritious. Hulled barley is considered a whole grain, and is a popular health food. Pearl barley or pearled barley is hulled barley which has been processed further to remove the bran. It may be polished, a process known as "pearling." Pearled barley can come in three sizes: coarse, medium, and fine. It is good in soups and stews, and when mixed with water and lemon can be used to make barley water, an old-fashioned drink given to the sick (Herbst 2001).

Hulled or pearl barley may be processed into a variety of barley products, including flour, flakes similar to oatmeal, and grits. Barley grits are hulled barley grains that have been cracked into medium-coarse pieces. Hulled and pearl barley may be malted and used in the production of alcoholic beverages.

Notes

↑ Food and Agriculture Organization. 2007. Barley Production. United Nations. Retrieved August 10, 2005.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Bender, D. A., and A. E. Bender. 2005. A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198609612
Crawford, Gary W., and G.-A. Lee. Agricultural origins in the Korean Peninsula. Antiquity 77(295) (2003): 87–95.
Herbst, S. T. The New Food Lover's Companion: Comprehensive Definitions of Nearly 6,000 Food, Drink, and Culinary Terms. Barron's Cooking Guide. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series, 2001. ISBN 0764112589
Katz, S. H., and W. W. Weaver. Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. New York: Schribner, 2003. ISBN 0684805685

Credits

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Barley ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

History of "Barley"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.

[1] Food and Agriculture Organization. 2007. Barley Production. United Nations. Retrieved August 10, 2005.

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Approved}}{{Images OK}}{{Submitted}}{{Paid}}{{Copyedited}}
+{{Taxobox
+| color = lightgreen
+| name = Barley
+| image = Barley.jpg
+| image_width = 240px
+| image_caption = Barley field
+| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
+| divisio = [[Magnoliophyta]]
+| classis = [[Liliopsida]]
+| ordo = [[Poales]]
+| familia = [[Poaceae]]
+| genus = ''[[Hordeum]]''
+| species = '''''H. vulgare'''''
+| binomial = ''Hordeum vulgare''
+| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
+}}
-{{Taxobox_begin | color = lightgreen| name = Barley}}
+'''Barley''' is any [[annual plant|annual]] [[cereal]] [[Poaceae|grass]] of the [[genus]] ''Hordeum,'' and in particular the species ''Hordeum vulgare.'' The term also is used for the edible grain of these plants.
-{{Taxobox_image | image = [[Image:Barley.jpg|240px]] | caption = Barley field }}
+{{toc}}
-{{Taxobox_begin_placement | color = lightgreen}}
+Beyond its own [[reproduction]] and development as a plant species, barley also contributes value to human beings. Barley is used as a major animal [[feed crop]], as a popular seasoning, in malting, and in health food. Barley ranks fourth among the cereals in terms of total world production (BarleyWorld 2006). It is a very good source of fiber, [[selenium]], [[phosphorus]], [[copper]], and [[manganese]]. Human creativity has resulted in diverse cultivars with preferred properties for various purposes.
-{{Taxobox_regnum_entry | taxon = [[Plant]]ae}}
-{{Taxobox_divisio_entry | taxon = [[Magnoliophyta]]}}
-{{Taxobox_classis_entry | taxon = [[Liliopsida]]}}
-{{Taxobox_ordo_entry | taxon = [[Poales]]}}
-{{Taxobox_familia_entry | taxon = [[Poaceae]]}}
-{{Taxobox_genus_entry | taxon = ''[[Hordeum]]''}}
-{{Taxobox_species_entry | taxon = '''''H. vulgare'''''}}
-{{Taxobox_end_placement}}
-{{Taxobox_section_binomial_botany | color = lightgreen| binomial_name = Hordeum vulgare| author = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]}}
-{{Taxobox_end}}
-'''Barley''' (''Hordeum vulgare'') is a major food and animal feed crop, a member of the grass family Poaceae. In 2005, barley ranked fourth in quantity produced and in area of cultivation of [[cereal]] crops in the world (560,000 km²) [http://faostat.fao.org/faostat/]. Its [[germination]] time is anywhere from 1-3 days.
+==Description==
+Barley is a member of the grass family, ''Poaceae,'' one of the largest and most important [[plant]] families, which also includes [[wheat]], [[rice]], and sugar cane. There are about 600 genera and perhaps ten thousand species of grasses.
-== History ==
+Grasses, like [[orchid]]s and [[palm]]s, are ''monocotyledons.'' [[Monocotyledon]]s are one of two major groups of [[flowering plant]]s (angiosperms), the other being [[dicotyledon]]s. Monocotyledons have only one ''cotyledon,'' or embryo leaf, rather than the two found in dicotyledons. The largest family in the monocotyledon group (and in the flowering plants) is the orchids. However, the most economically important family in this group is the grasses, which include the true grains (rice, wheat, maize, barley, etc.). Unlike dicotyledons, the true grasses are specialized for wind pollination and produce smaller flowers.
-Cultivated barley (''H. vulgare'') is descended from [[Hordeum|wild barley]] (''Hordeum spontaneum''), which grows wild in the [[Middle East]]. Both forms are [[diploid]] (2n=14 [[chromosome]]s). As wild barley is interfertile with domesticated barley, the two forms are often treated as one species, divided into ''Hordeum vulgare'' subsp. ''spontaneum'' (wild) and subsp. ''vulgare'' (domesticated). The main difference between the two forms is the brittle [[rachis]] of the former, which enables seed dispersal in the wild. The earliest finds of wild barley come from Epi-[[Paleolithic]] sites in the [[Levant]], beginning in the [[Natufian]]. The earliest domesticated barley occurs at Aceramic [[Neolithic]] sites such as the (PPN B) layers of [[Tell]] Abu Hureyra in [[Syria]]. Barley was one of the [[Neolithic founder crops|first crops domesticated]] in the Near East, at the same time as [[einkorn]] and [[emmer]] wheat.
+Barley is one of the most important and widely consumed cereals produced in the world. It was one of the first crops domesticated for human consumption and can grow in a large number of environmental conditions. Today, it is useful to people all over the world, most importantly in animal fodder, in brewing beer (when it is malted), and to a less extent in human foodstuffs.
+Most commonly, barley refers to ''Hordeum vulgare L.,'' although other species in the genus are also included. There are many varieties of ''H. vulgare,'' all of which can be classified as either a spring or winter type. Winter types require a cold period in order to produce flowers and set seeds, and they are planted in the fall. Spring types do not require this cold period, and for best production they are planted as early in spring as the soil allows. When the reproductive phase is reached, the stems elongate and the flowering head (also referred to as the spike or ear) extends upward. The fertile florets on the flowering head contain both male and female reproductive structures; thus, barley primarily self-pollinates (Katz and Weaver 2003). Barley varieties can also be classified according to the number of kernel heads, which determines the fertility of the florets on the plant (see ''Cultivars'' below).
+The height of a barley plant averages roughly eighty centimeters, though it can vary greatly depending on the variety and growing conditions. Leaves grow along the barley stems, which in most varieties are coated with a waxy chalk-like deposit of varying density. The shape and size of leaves varies depending on growing conditions and barley variety.
+==Composition==
+The composition of barley, omitting the salts, is as follows:
+{| border=1
+| [[Water]]
+| 15%
+|-
+| [[Nitrogen|Nitrogenous compounds]]
+| 12.981%
+|-
+| [[Natural gum|Gum]]
+| 6.744%
+|-
+| [[Sugar]]
+| 3.2%
+|-
+| [[Starch]]
+| 59.95%
+|-
+| [[Fat]]
+| 2.17%
+|}
+==Cultivars==
+Barley can also be classified as six-rowed, four-rowed, or two-rowed, referring to the number of kernal rows in the head. This determines the fertility of the florets on the spike (the spike is the structure containing the flowers and later the mature seeds).  In six-rowed barleys (traditionally known as ''Hordeum vulgare'') and four-rowed ''(Hordeum tetrastichum),'' all of the florets are fertile. In contrast, in two-rowed types ''(Hordeum distichum)'' only the central floret of the three at each node is fertile, and thus just two rows of seeds develop on opposite sides of the rachis (central stem).
+[[Image:Hordeum-barley.jpg|thumb|Barley]]
+Two-row barley is the oldest form, wild barley being a member of this category. Two-row barley has a lower [[protein]] content and higher [[starch]] content than six-row barley. High protein barley is best suited for animal feed or malt that will be used to make beers with a large adjunct content (those which lack enzymes). Two-row barley is traditionally used in English ale-style beers and traditional German beers, whereas six-row barley is common in some American lager style beers. Four-row is unsuitable for brewing.
+Barley is widely adaptable and is currently a major crop of the temperate and tropical areas. It is likely to be [[susceptible]] to [[barley mild mosaic bymovirus]] as well as [[Bacterial blight (barley)|Bacterial blight]] (Brunt et al. 1996).
+==History of Production==
+Domesticated barley ''(H. vulgare)'' is descended from [[Hordeum|wild barley]] ''(Hordeum spontaneum).'' Both forms are [[diploid]] (having two sets of [[chromosome]]s, one maternal and one paternal). As wild barley is interfertile with domesticated barley, the two forms are often treated as one species, divided into ''Hordeum vulgare'' subsp. ''spontaneum'' (wild) and subspecies ''vulgare'' (domesticated). The main difference between the two forms is the brittle [[rachis]] (main stem) of the former, which enables seed dispersal in the wild.
+The earliest finds of wild barley come from Epi-[[Paleolithic]] sites in the [[Levant]] (region in the Middle East), beginning in the [[Natufian]]. The earliest domesticated barley occurs at Aceramic [[Neolithic]] sites in the Near East, such as the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPN B) layers of [[Tell]] Abu Hureyra in [[Syria]]. Barley was one of the [[Neolithic founder crops|first crops domesticated]] in the Near East, along with [[einkorn]] and [[emmer]] [[wheat]]. Barley is more tolerant of soil salinity than wheat, which might explain the increase of barley cultivation on Mesopotamia from the second millennium B.C.E. onwards. Barley can still thrive in conditions that are too cold even for [[rye]].
+Barley was, alongside [[emmer wheat]], a staple cereal of [[ancient Egypt]], where it was used to make [[bread]] and [[beer]]; together, these often comprised a complete diet. The general name for barley is ''jt'' (hypothetically pronounced "eat"); ''šma'' (hypothetically pronounced "SHE-ma") refers to [[Upper Egypt]]ian barley and is a symbol of Upper Egypt.  According to [[Deuteronomy]] 8:8, barley is one of the "[[Seven Species]]" of crops that characterize the fertility of the [[Promised Land]] of [[Canaan]], and barley has a prominent role in the [[Israelite]] [[sacrifice|sacrificial cult]] described in the [[Pentateuch]] (see e.g. [[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] 5:15).
+In ancient Greece, the ritual significance of barley possibly dates back to the earliest stages of the [[Eleusinian Mysteries]]. The preparatory ''[[kykeon]]'' or mixed drink of the initiates, prepared from barley and [[herb]]s, was referred to in the [[Homeric hymn]] to [[Demeter]], who was also called "Barley-mother."
 {|style="float:right;clear:right;margin:0 0 1em 1em;"
@@ Line 31: / Line 87: @@
 |<hiero>U9</hiero>
 |}
-Barley was, alongside [[emmer wheat]], a staple cereal of [[ancient Egypt]], where it was used to make [[bread]] and [[beer]]; together, these were a complete diet. The general name for barley is ''jt'' (hypothetically pronounced "eat"); ''šma'' (hypothetically pronounced "SHE-ma") refers to [[Upper Egypt]]ian barley and is a symbol of Upper Egypt.
-The ritual significance of barley in ancient Greece possibly dates back to the earliest stages of the [[Eleusinian Mysteries]]. The preparatory ''[[kykeon]]'' or mixed drink of the initiates, prepared from barley and [[herb]]s, was referred to in the [[Homeric hymn]] to [[Demeter]], who was also called "Barley-mother".
-Greek practice was to dry the barley [[groats]] and roast them before preparing the porridge, according to [[Pliny the Elder]]'s ''[[Pliny's Natural History|Natural History]]'' (xviii.72). This produces [[malt]] that soon ferments and becomes slightly alcoholic.
-[[Tibetan barley]] has been the only major [[staple food]] in [[Tibet]] for centuries.
-Palaeoethnobotanists have found that barley has been grown in the Korean Peninsula since the Early [[Mumun Pottery Period]] (c. 1500-850 B.C.E.) along with other crops such as millet, wheat, and legumes.
-==Cultivars==
-[[Image:Hordeum-barley.jpg|thumb|Barley]]
-Barley can be divided by the number of kernel rows in the head. Three forms have been cultivated; two-row barley (traditionally known as ''Hordeum distichum''), four-row (''Hordeum tetrastichum'') and six-row barley (''Hordeum vulgare''). In two-row barley only one spikelet is fertile, in the four-row and six-row forms, all three are fertile.
-Two-row barley is the oldest form, wild barley having two rows as well. Two-row barley has a lower protein content than six-row barley and thus a lower [[enzyme]] <!-- enzymes ARE proteins—> content. High protein barley is best suited for animal feed or malt that will be used to make beers with a large adjunct content. Two-row barley is traditionally used in English beers, Six-row barley is traditional in German and American beers. Four-row is unsuitable for brewing.
+Greek practice was to dry the barley [[groats]] (whole grains with the husks removed) and roast them before preparing the porridge, according to [[Pliny the Elder]]'s ''[[Pliny's Natural History|Natural History]]'' (xviii. 72). This produces [[malt]] that soon ferments and becomes slightly alcoholic.
-Barley is widely adaptable and is currently a major crop of the temperate and tropical areas.
+[[Tibetan barley]] has been the only major [[staple food]] in [[Tibet]] for centuries. It is made into a flour product called [[tsampa]].
-== Production ==
+Palaeoethnobotanists have found that barley has been grown in the [[Korea]]n Peninsula since the Early [[Mumun Pottery Period]] (c. 1500–850 B.C.E.) along with other crops including as millet, wheat, and legumes (Crawford and Lee 2003).
-{| class="wikitable" align=left style="clear:left"
+== Modern Production ==
-! colspan=2| '''Top Ten Barley Producers - 2005'''<br><small>(million metric ton)</small>
+[[Image:2005barley.PNG|thumb|right|Barley output in 2005]]
+{| class="wikitable" style="clear:left"
+! colspan=2| '''Top Ten Barley Producers—2005'''<br/><small>(million metric ton)</small>
 |-
-| Russia || align="right" | 16.7
+| {{RUS}} || align="right" | 16.7
 |-
-| Canada || align="right" | 12.1
+| [[Canada]] || align="right" | 12.1
 |-
-| Germany || align="right" | 11.7
+| {{GER}} || align="right" | 11.7
 |-
-| Franca || align="right" | 10.4
+| {{FRA}} || align="right" | 10.4
 |-
-| Ukraine || align="right" | 9.3
+| [[Ukraine]] || align="right" | 9.3
 |-
-| Turkey || align="right" | 9.0
+| {{TUR}} || align="right" | 9.0
 |-
-| Australia|| align="right" | 6.6
+| {{AUS}}|| align="right" | 6.6
 |-
-| Great Britain || align="right" | 5.5
+| {{GBR}} || align="right" | 5.5
 |-
-| United States  || align="right" | 4.6
+| {{USA}}  || align="right" | 4.6
 |-
-| Spain || align="right" | 4.4
+| {{ESP}} || align="right" | 4.4
 |-
 |'''World Total''' || align="right" | '''138'''
 |-
-|colspan=2 style="font-size:90%;"|''Source: <br>[[FAO|UN Food & Agriculture Organization]] (FAO)''[http://faostat.fao.org/faostat/form?collection=Production.Crops.Primary&Domain=Production&servlet=1&hasbulk=0&version=ext&language=EN]
+|colspan=2 style="font-size:90%;"|''Source: <br/>[[FAO|UN Food & Agriculture Organization]] (FAO)''<ref> Food and Agriculture Organization. 2007. [http://faostat.fao.org Barley Production]. United Nations. Retrieved August 10, 2005.</ref>
 |}
-Barley was grown in about 100 countries worldwide in 2005. The world production in 1974 was 148,818,870 tonnes, showing little change in the amount of barley produced worldwide.
+Barley was grown in about 100 countries worldwide in 2005. The world production in 1974 was 148,818,870 tons, showing little change in the amount of barley produced worldwide.
 ==Uses==
 [[Image:Various grains.jpg|thumb|Oats, barley, and some products made from them.]]
-Barley is a staple food for humans and other animals. It is more tolerant of soil salinity than wheat, which might explain the increase of barley cultivation on Mesopotamia from the 2nd millennium B.C.E. onwards. Barley can still thrive in conditions that are too cold even for [[rye]].
+Half of the world's barley production is used as an animal feed. A large part of the remainder is used for [[malt]]ing and is a key ingredient in [[beer]] and [[whiskey]] production.
-[[Malt]]ing barley is a key ingredient in [[beer]] and [[whiskey]] production.
-The 1881 ''[[Household Cyclopedia]]'' adds:
+Certain barley varieties, called malting barleys, are developed specifically to possess the chemical properties desirable for malting. In beer production, barley is first converted to malt, which is a better substrate for brewing and is essentially a process of truncated seed germination. This barley malt provides the [[sugar]]s and [[amino acid]]s for [[yeast]] growth, and the yeast converts the sugars to ethyl alcohol in the fermentation process. The two main steps in the production of beer from barley are malting and brewing, and these steps are carried out by separate industries (Katz and Weaver 2003). Non-alcoholic drinks such as [[barley water]] and [[mugicha]] are also made from barley. Barely is also used in soups and stews, particularly in Eastern Europe. A small amount is used in health foods.
-<blockquote>
-Next to wheat the most valuable grain is barley, especially on light and sharp soils.
+Barley must have its fibrous outer hull removed before it can be eaten. Barley grains with their hulls still on are called '''covered barley'''. Once the grain has had the inedible hull removed, it is called '''hulled barley'''. At this stage, the grain still has its [[bran]] and [[Cereal germ|germ]], which are [[nutrition|nutritious]]. Hulled barley is considered a [[whole grain]], and is a popular [[Healthy diet|health food]].  '''Pearl barley''' or '''pearled barley''' is hulled barley which has been processed further to remove the bran. It may be polished, a process known as "pearling." Pearled barley can come in three sizes: coarse, medium, and fine. It is good in soups and stews, and when mixed with water and lemon can be used to make barley water, an old-fashioned drink given to the sick (Herbst 2001).
-It is a tender grain and easily hurt in any of the stages of its growth, particularly at seed time; a heavy shower of rain will then almost ruin a crop on the best prepared land; and in all the after processes greater pains and attention are required to ensure success than in the case of other grains. The harvest process is difficult, and often attended with danger; even the threshing of it is not easily executed with machines, because the awn generally adheres to the grain, and renders separation from the straw a troublesome task. Barley, in fact, is raised at greater expense than wheat, and generally speaking is a more hazardous crop. Except upon rich and genial soils, where climate will allow wheat to be perfectly reared, it ought not to be cultivated.
+Hulled or pearl barley may be processed into a variety of barley products, including [[flour]], flakes similar to [[oatmeal]], and [[grits]]. Barley grits are hulled barley grains that have been cracked into medium-coarse pieces. Hulled and pearl barley may be malted and used in the production of alcoholic beverages.
-</blockquote>
-===Preparation of ground===
+==Notes==
-Barley is chiefly taken after [[turnips]], sometimes after [[peas]] and [[beans]], but rarely by good farmers either after wheat or [[oat]]s, unless under special circumstances. When sown after turnips it is generally taken with one furrow, which is given as fast as the turnips are consumed, the ground thus receiving much benefit from the spring frosts. But often two, or more furrows are necessary for the fields last consumed, because when a spring drought sets in, the surface, from being poached by the removal or consumption of the crop, gets so hardened as to render a greater quantity of ploughing, harrowing and rolling necessary than would otherwise be called for. When sown after beans and peas, one winter and one spring ploughing are usually bestowed: but when after wheat or oats, three ploughings are necessary, so that the ground may be put in proper condition. These operations are very ticklish in a wet and backward season, and rarely in that case is the grower paid for the expense of his labor. Where land is in such a situation as to require three ploughings before it can be seeded with barley, it is better to summer-fallow it at once than to run the risks which seldom fail to accompany a quantity of spring labor. If the weather be dry, moisture is lost during the different processes, and an imperfect braird necessarily follows; if it be wet the benefit of ploughing is lost, and all the evils of a wet seed time are sustained by the future crop. <br><br>
-The quantity sown is different in different cases, according to the quality of the soil and other circumstances. Upon very rich lands eight pecks per acre [11 t/km²] are sometimes sown; twelve [16 t/km²] is very common, and upon poor land more is sometimes given. <br><br>
+<references/>
-By good judges a quantity of seed is sown sufficient to ensure a full crop, without depending on its sending out offsets; indeed, where that is done few offsets are produced, the crop grows and ripens equally, and the grain is uniformly good. The small bristles on the top of the barley are called 'awn'.
+==References==
-== Reference ==
+* Bender, D. A., and A. E. Bender. 2005. ''A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition.'' New York:  Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198609612
-* [http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=40865 ITIS 40865 2002-09-22]
+*Crawford, Gary W., and G.-A. Lee. Agricultural origins in the Korean Peninsula. ''Antiquity'' 77(295) (2003): 87–95.
+* Herbst, S. T. ''The New Food Lover's Companion: Comprehensive Definitions of Nearly 6,000 Food, Drink, and Culinary Terms. Barron's Cooking Guide.'' Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series, 2001. ISBN 0764112589
+* Katz, S. H., and W. W. Weaver. ''Encyclopedia of Food and Culture.'' New York: Schribner, 2003. ISBN 0684805685
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+{{credit|140025557}}
 [[Category:Life sciences]]
+[[Category:Plants]]
+[[Category:Food]]