A glass of beer, a loaf of bread, a bowl of porridge, a standard of measurement, a form of currency, a medication--they all began with barley. Barley, an ancient grain possibly even older than rice, originated in Ethiopia and Southeast Asia, where it has been cultivated for more than 10,000 years. During the latter part of the Stone Age, early man was sprinkling grains of barley over various foods, adding a chewy, nutty quality to his meals. The grain was used by ancient civilizations as a food for humans and animals, as well as to make alcoholic beverages; the first known recipe for barley wine dates back to 2800 BC in Babylonia. In addition, since ancient times, barley water has been used for various medicinal purposes. (Don’t forget the line in the Nanny song from Mary Poppins, “Never smell of barley water . . . “)

Ancient cultures were forming loaves of barley bread long before domesticating wheat. Since barley contains only miniscule quantities of gluten, the protein that makes wheat breads rise easily, the breads made from this grain were heavy and quite dense but nutritious nonetheless. Our cultivated barley of today was once a wild grass that originated in the Near East, though some food historians believe China was the place of origin, while others say it was Ethiopia. Archeologists discovered remnants of wild barley, H. spontaneum, at many sites across a belt that stretches from North Africa on the west to Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan in the east.

Egyptian hieroglyphics dating back to 5,000 BC mention barley's importance to sustenance. To many Egyptian workers barley meant life. The enslaved people who built the pyramids endured intense desert heat, heavy labor lifting huge stones, and dawn to dusk hours on a spartan diet. Their meals consisted of a mere three loaves of barley bread a day and an allotment of beer--made from barley. The earliest brewing methods of using barley to brew beer, originating in Mesopotamia, actually began with barley bread made from sprouted grains.  Since the crop was also the primary grain of the Hebrews it is not surprising that it was mentioned in the Bible. The Babylonians created the oldest known recipe for making barley wine and inscribed the directions in a cross-shaped form on a library brick dating back to 2,800 BC. Barley continued to play an important role in ancient Greek culture as a staple bread-making grain as well as an important food for athletes. Roman athletes continued this tradition of honoring barley for the strength that it gave them. Gladiators were known as hordearii, which means "eaters of barley." The grain journeyed into China before wheat and was honored in the country as a symbol of male virility since the heads of barley are heavy and contain numerous seeds.

Historians report that up until the 16th century, barley was the most important grain on the European continent. Since wheat was very expensive and not widely available in the Middle Ages, many Europeans made bread from a combination of barley and rye. The Spanish introduced barley to South America in the 16th century, while the English and Dutch settlers of the 17th century brought it with them to the United States. Since wheat and corn were plentiful in North America, barley was never used for baking bread. It gained its popularity as an important ingredient for making beer.

Barley malt, used as a sweetener, originated in China before it became popular and used almost exclusively as a sweetener in Japan. Today, pearl barley is a favorite of the Japanese, while the grain is highly valued in Tibet and surrounding areas of the Himalayas for its ability to grow successfully in those high altitudes where weather conditions are extreme.

As a measure and currency

Barley was so highly valued that many civilizations used it as a form of currency and measure. The Sumerians note the use of barley for measurement and money on their cuneiforms dating back 3500 BC. And in the Code of Hammurabi, 1750 BC, the Babylonians employed barley as simple monetary exchange.

From the 1300s to the 1700s the barleycorn standard of measurement became the foundation of the measurement system that existed in Great Britain and America. In about 1305, Edward I of England decreed that one inch should be the measure of three barleycorns, and English shoe sizing began; thus a child's shoe that measured 13 barleycorns became a size 13. The term barleycorn, originally barli-corn, can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon era in England about the fifth and sixth centuries through the eleventh century. It was then that farming communities relied on this grain as a unit of measurement as well as weight. The word barleycorn referred to each grain of barley as a unit of length equal to 1/3-inch or about 8.5 millimeters, with about 3 barleycorns laid end to end equal to one Anglo-Saxon ynce, which later became "inch." Twelve of these ynces was determined as one foot, or 36 barleycorns, or the running foot at 39 barleycorns.

The term originally used for the weighing of barleycorn is "grain," eventually becoming "gram" in the metric system. This term existed before the troy and avoirdupois weight systems.

The British employ barley in a number of folk remedies, claiming that barley water will settle an upset stomach. They have also rumored that barley water is the secret behind the beautiful complexions of their British women. Today, barley's claim to nutritional fame is based on it being a very good source of fiber and selenium and a good source of phosphorus, copper and manganese. Calcium, potassium, and phosphorous are also present in significant amounts.

Barley's fiber has multiple beneficial effects on cholesterol and can prevent or improve a number of different conditions including high blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, various cancers and even gallstones.

Though oats contain beta-glucan and have been advertised as the great panacea for lowering cholesterol, some varieties of barley contain up to three times the level of beta-glucans as most varieties of oats.

*Fiber content can vary between brands.

Yet another reason to increase your intake of barley is that barley is also a good source of niacin, a B vitamin that provides numerous protective actions against cardiovascular risk factors.

For people worried about colon cancer risk, barley packs a double punch by providing the fiber needed to minimize the amount of time cancer-causing substances spend in contact with colon cells, plus being a very good source of selenium, which has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer significantly. A cup of cooked barley provides 52% of the daily value for selenium. Selenium is an essential component of several major metabolic pathways, including thyroid hormone metabolism, antioxidant defense systems, and immune function.

Copper, another trace mineral supplied by barley, may also be helpful in reducing the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. One cup of cooked barley provides 32% of the daily value for copper. The phosphorus provided by barley plays a role in the structure of every cell in the body. A cup of cooked barley will give you 23% of the daily value for phosphorus.

Compared to other grains, barley is just about the toughest grain in the field. Barley will grow in many areas of the world where wheat will not thrive. It is a very hardy perennial with a relatively short growing season, maturing in about three months. These hardy qualities permit barley to tolerate flooding, drought conditions, and even frost. An added bonus for the farmer is this amazing grain's ability to resist insect infestation.

Cultivated for over 10,000 years, it is one of the oldest domesticated grain crops. Through these many years, more than 200 varieties of barley were developed. At present, barley is the world's fourth most important crop and an important staple in many countries. The largest commercial producers of barley are Canada, the United States, the Russian Federation, Germany, France and Spain. Though the U.S. is the third largest producer of barley, only a small portion reaches the table in its grain form. Almost half the United States crop of barley is used for brewing beer and most of the rest is used for feeding livestock.

Preparation and Use

Barley can be used in place of rice in almost any dish. And although mainly thought of as an ingredient in soups, barley grits are great for breakfast, and pearled or hulled barley is perfect for salads, side dishes or as the primary ingredient in main dishes and even desserts.

Like all grains, before cooking barley, rinse it thoroughly under running water and then remove any dirt or debris that you may find. After rinsing, add one part barley to three and a half parts boiling water or broth. After the liquid has returned to a boil, turn down the heat, cover and simmer. Pearled barley should be simmered for about one hour, while hulled barley should be cooked for about 90 minutes.

Storing
It's always best to store grains in airtight containers. Unrefrigerated, barley will keep for six to nine months. If the grains are stored in the refrigerator, they will keep several months longer.