You’re probably most familiar with February’s grain of the month rounding out your soups and stews. However, barley is one ancient grain that you may be taking for granted. Barley’s nutty flavor and chewy, pasta-like mouth feel make it a very versatile grain with a long history.

Barley is an ancient grain that often gets overlooked. When you hear the term “ancient grains,” we’re guessing you probably think of quinoa, amaranth or teff. However, barley played a major role in forming the basis of farming methods in the Fertile Crescent over 10,000 years ago, and was a diet staple for both people and animals as one of the first domesticated grains.

You can also thank barley for its role in the origins of brewing beer. In fact, some archeologists, botanists, and science writers even argue that it was barley for beer, and not wheat for bread that motivated our ancestors to start cultivating grain at all. While many different grains can be used in the brewing process, the majority of beers are brewed using malted barley as the base. This practice can be traced back to the German Purity law, Reinheitsgebot, in the 16th century. This law strictly regulated the price of beer, and restricted the ingredients to solely barley, hops, and water. Ultimately, this law affected beer traditions globally, until 1987 when it was repealed giving us the wide variety of beers we can now choose from. Still today, most barley is sold as malt used to make beer, or as animal feed.

However, barley boasts many health benefits for us that make it a desirable menu option. Most notably, barley has high levels of beta-glucans which have been shown to reduce cholesterol, help control blood sugar, improve immune system function, and may even be radioprotective — helping our bodies through treatments of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and even nuclear emergencies. These health benefits may aid in the fight against heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

If the numerous health benefits haven’t convinced you, the great taste should! You can find uses for barley in side dishes, main courses, and even desserts. In fact, one country has traditional examples of all of these uses. Iceland happens to be the most northern country in the world where people cultivate grain, and barley is a local favorite. A classic recipe that’s become a very popular side for fish and game in Iceland is barleyotto, a creamy whole grain dish making use of various seasonal vegetables. In addition to the unique barleyotto recipes, barley often appears in hearty breakfast dishes similar to muesli. For dessert, you may want to try their classic Happy Marriage Cake. Made with whole barley flakes and tart rhubarb, it’s a not-too-sweet choice to round out a meal.

Do you have any unique ways to use barley? If so, we’d love to hear about them below!

(Harley)