What is barley and what is it eaten with?

Nowadays, barley firmly associated with the Soviet catering and soldier canteens. Meanwhile, the very name of this culture comes from the old Russian word "pearls", which means "pearls" in translation. And this name is the best fit for this simple and affordable cereal, which at the same time has an extraordinary taste and contains a lot of useful substances.

Barley can be found in every store along with other cereals. At the same time, everyone knows that millet groats are made from wheat, buckwheat - from buckwheat, and oatmeal - from oats. But the paradox, such a cereal as pearl barley, does not exist, so many wonder what it is from which these light brown grains are obtained. It's simple: barley is made from barley. Grains of this culture are threshed, then sent for cleaning, then polished and removed the top layer, and the grinding process occurs 6 times to completely remove all the bran. After that, the grain is subjected to heat treatment, as a result, it acquires a light nutty flavor.

Most often on the shelves you can find cereals, the grains of which are slightly oblong.

Production and processing of pearl barley complies with GOST 5784-60. In the most general form, there are several types of barley, depending on the shape and dimensions of the grains.

• No. 1 - grains have an oval-elongated shape. For the preparation of such cereals requires prolonged heat treatment.
• No. 2 - visually it is cereal, similar to the first, but the cooking time is somewhat reduced.
• № 3-5 - different spherical shape of the grains.

By the way, if you grind pearl barley, you get barley. In everyday life, these two cereals are considered to be completely different, although they have the same initial product. In previous years, barley cost quite a lot, because the processing of barley was too expensive. In Tsarist Russia, this cereal appeared only on the table of the most well-to-do people, but with the development of technology, the production process became much simpler, and today barley is one of the cheapest cereals.

It should also be noted that today the scope of use of barley has significantly expanded. If in previous years they only boiled porridge from it and added it to soups, today it is widely used for salads and casseroles, jelly is boiled out of it, and some housewives believe that classic meatballs should contain barley, and not rice at all.

Dishes made from traditional cereals have a pleasant creamy shade and a light flavor of fenugreek, but if you cook porridge from Dutch, it will come out snow-white and more airy in structure, and it is cooked much faster.

Now, when we figured out that the barley is obtained from barley, the question of where it grows is not worth it - of course, in the fields. It should be noted that barley is much less demanding of climatic conditions than all other types of cereals, it is easier to tolerate excessive moisture and drought, can grow on any type of soil and does not need special growing conditions.

Among all grains, barley is considered the most precocious crop, while it grows almost everywhere - from the Equator to the Arctic Circle.He can feed a person both high in the mountains and in the desert. The famous traveler Przhevalsky was sincerely surprised at one time, having discovered barley fields in the Himalayas at an altitude of more than 5 thousand kilometers. No less striking and planting in Alaska, where the climate is quite harsh - this is due to the exceptional simplicity of the plant, which distinguishes it from all other cereals.

By the way, barley is one of the most ancient cultures. Even during the archaeological excavations in Palestine, barley grains, which were approximately 17 thousand years old, were discovered, and archaeologists in Jordan found grains that have an 11-century history. That is why you can safely say. that this grass is considered to be one of the very first cultivated crops.

Barley grain and pearl barley are inherently the same thing, but nevertheless there is a difference between them, and first of all it is connected with the technology of grain processing.

Thus, barley is a cleaned and polished barley grain, from which, during processing, the flower shell is completely removed and a part of the aleurone layer is removed, which contains fiber, as well as the main concentration of vitamins and minerals.

Barley is produced by crushing barley. Upon receipt of this cereal all the useful substances are stored in full, so this product is more useful and, therefore, more often used for the preparation of cereals and side dishes.

Scientists from Japan, who were studying the properties of barley, found that this grass has an extremely high content of nutrients that are necessary to maintain normal human activity.

Croup contains a large number of amino acids, thanks to which the main building material of all tissues and cells, protein, is synthesized in our body. It is noteworthy that the concentration of lysine is particularly high here, which has a pronounced antioxidant effect and significantly reduces the severity of age-related changes in the skin.

Barley is rich in minerals, especially calcium, phosphorus, bromine, strontium, and potassium. Quite a lot in the croup and copper with manganese and iodine necessary for all residents of the metropolis. This mineral composition is complemented by the presence of vitamins A, E, B, as well as D and nicotinic acid.

All this makes barley grain extremely useful for children and adults. During the processing of grains, some of the nutrients are lost, which significantly reduces the healing value of the finished product, but the content of micro and macro elements still remains significant, which is why barley is recommended for inclusion in the healthy diet.

As for fiber, in pearl barley it is much more than in the same wheat, and the proteins of this culture are much more valuable than wheat. In addition, the composition of barley includes antibacterial components of natural origin, which are natural analogues of antibiotics.

The exceptional vitamin and mineral composition of pearl barley determines its nutritional value. The inclusion of barley in your diet is very useful and most beneficial effect on all vital organs and body systems.

Lysine in the composition of the product contributes to the production of collagen, slows the aging process, rejuvenates the cells and tissues, and in addition, significantly improves the appearance, makes the skin more fresh and elastic.

Barley contains all the B vitamins in large quantities, therefore it is an indispensable product for maintaining the normal functioning of the nervous system.The use of pearl barley increases stress resistance, improves the emotional background, reduces the adverse effects of severe mental stress, relieves insomnia and nervous tics. In addition, these components contribute to the normalization of blood formation and improve the qualitative composition of blood.

Vitamin A in the composition of pearl barley is recommended for improving visual acuity, and in combination with vitamin E, it improves skin condition, reduces the appearance of beriberi, and reduces bleeding gums.

Due to the presence of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D, which facilitates the assimilation of these minerals by the body, the product helps to strengthen the musculoskeletal tissue. Perlovka is recommended for people after severe fractures, because it stimulates the rapid accretion of bone tissue, and in addition, strengthens the immune system and normalizes the metabolism in the body of children and adults.

Among all cereals, pearl barley is distinguished by the most powerful anti-inflammatory effect, therefore its inclusion in the menu is indicated for infectious and catarrhal diseases, as well as for intestinal disorders.

Croup contains a lot of iron, which is indispensable for maintaining a high level of hemoglobin, therefore, barley is simply necessary for weakened people, as well as patients with anemia and anemia.

The presence of fiber and dietary fiber contributes to the gentle elimination of toxins and slags from the body, as well as the normalization of the process of digestion of food in general.

Pearl barley is indispensable for those who suffer from endocrine disorders and, in particular, diabetes.

In folk medicine, water is also used in which the barley was washed before boiling - it helps with fungal diseases, since it has a high content of horzedin, which has a fungicidal effect.

But when coughing, barley decoction is quite effective. It promotes the transfer of unproductive cough into productive, stimulates expectoration and sputum removal, which greatly simplifies the condition of patients with dry cough.

A slight diuretic effect of such a decoction was noted, as well as a small antitumor effect, due to which pearl barley is recommended to be included in the diet of cancer patients - it helps to slow the development of the disease and creates conditions for effective medical treatment of this severe disease.

Women during lactation are also often recommended to take barley decoction, because it stimulates the production of breast milk.

Barley does not hurt women in menopause, as it is rich in elements that tend to level all the unpleasant symptoms of this period - irritability, hot flashes and excessive sweating.

Pearl barley is recommended to introduce into the diet of women who are waiting for the baby. The product is rich in potassium, calcium and phosphorus, which affects the growth and development of the fetus.

Children can barley starting from 3 years. At an earlier age, it is too heavy for an unformed stomach of a child and is practically not digested.

Especially important is the barley in the children's diet in the winter time, because it helps to strengthen the immune system and activate all the body's defenses.

However, it should be borne in mind that this product has contraindications. It should be noted that the negative aspects of its use are few, but still they deserve special mention.

The product is not recommended for people with increased secretion of the stomach, as well as those prone to constipation - croup has a fastening effect and can only aggravate the situation.

There are cases of intolerance to the components of barley, in this case, you should limit the use of the product or completely withdraw it from your usual diet. Keep in mind that cereals contain a lot of gluten, therefore, barley is also not recommended for young children and people prone to allergies.

The measure is good in everything, and this rule should be remembered when it comes to barley. You should not get involved in it, because it can cause increased gas formation and bloating, but only with excessive use.

Pearl barley is quite high in calories - 100 g of dry product contains about 320 kilocalories, but at the same time it belongs to dietary dishes. Everything is explained simply - raw cereals are used only for feeding livestock: pigs and cows, and people eat boiled product, and its nutritional value is much lower - 100 g of the product contains 110 kcal.

Depending on the method of cooking cereals, its caloric content can vary greatly, for example, sugar increases it 2 to 3 times.

If you cook the cereal with milk, then 100 g of the finished dish will contain 156 kcal, and the caloric content of the cereal cooked with water is very low — about 105 kcal.

Slightly more than the figure for dishes cooked in meat broth - about 135 kilocalories, but pickle with barley contains only 45 kcal.

The product with mushrooms has a parameter equal to 106 kcal, and the value of the dish with chicken is slightly higher and is approximately 150 kcal.

For dietary food they use barley on water, since its energy value in this case is rather low. There is even a diet that involves eating barley porridge on water and vegetables. As a rule, it lasts 5-7 days and is notable for high efficiency.

Barley is considered a good side dish, because it is combined with any meat dish. The principles of proper nutrition correspond to the use of the product along with chicken, baked in a package in its own juice, as well as with the giblets stewed in clay pots.

It should be borne in mind that despite the usefulness of barley, in combination with individual products, it becomes not so useful, and in addition, its digestibility is significantly reduced. A single use of such a dish will not lead to such unpleasant consequences for the body, but with a regular intake of cereals in the wrong combination can seriously impair digestion.

Nutritionists say that barley can be eaten with steamed vegetables, as well as mushrooms. When using the product, it is better to give preference to butter. However, with other dairy products, the croup creates an excellent tandem. The use of cereals increases many times when used with herbs and spices.

You can buy barley in any store, with the main criterion for selection should be its appearance. Grains should be long, their shade - golden brown. No dark blotches are allowed.

When cooking, pearl barley should not stick together, so pay attention to the condition of the grains in the package - if you notice that they are glued together and interlock with each other, it is better to abandon the purchase and purchase the cereal from another manufacturer in another place. Most likely, the norms of storage and processing of the product, as well as temperature conditions, were violated. Chances are high that the required level of humidity was also too high.

To notice all these nuances, it is necessary to purchase the cereal in a transparent package, and it should be a little shaken and dented in the hands. If there is mold inside, you will most likely see it. But it is better not to take porridge in bags, it is sold in boxes and there is no possibility to visually assess the condition of the grains.

If you buy cereal in bulk, then by all means check it for smell - it should be a pleasant cereal without rancidity, otherwise you will have expired cereals, which can harm the body.

The shelf life of barley is 1 year, you need to store the grits in a dry place.

On the useful properties of pearl barley, see the following video.