Barley tea (Hordeum vulgare) is widely consumed as whole grain or pearled barley in a variety of healthy foods, such as bread, cereal, rice, and pasta. It is rich in dietary fiber, and the main component is the mixed linkage of β-D-glucan similar to oats. The soluble beta-glucan content of barley ranges from 2% to 10% per grain weight depending on the variety, with a generally higher content in waxy barley than in normal varieties [rx]. Pearled barley contains much more water-soluble β-glucan than its whole grain, as the β-glucan content in the barley endosperm is higher than that in the bran [rx]. The distributional difference of barley β-glucan sets it apart from other grains such as wheat and rice.

There might be many benefits of drinking barley tea because it may help improve circulation, treat skin conditions, prevent chronic disease, and settle the stomach. It may also help stimulate male fertility, prevents diabetes, aids in weight loss, purifies the blood, and strengthen the immune system.

Barley tea comes in different types, and each type has its own flavor characteristics.

• Roasted barley tea – used for making hot barley tea. If you happen to have the unroasted barley, you can easily roast it at home. Put the barley on a skillet in medium heat, stir around until the color turns brown (takes around 10-12 minutes).
• Barley tea bag – used for making iced barley tea. The size of the barley grains is crushed so that the fragrance can be easily emitted.
• PET bottle barley tea – ready-to-drink barley tea, so it’s convenient, but may have a different taste and aroma due to the sterilization process. The container (PET bottles, cans) also could affect the original taste of the tea.

What is Barley Tea?

Barley tea might be a staple beverage in many countries, primarily Korea, Japan, and China, where it is known as boricua, mugicha, and màichá, respectively. Consumed both cold and hot, roasted barley tea may be a delicious, refreshing, nutty, and aromatic drink that is slowly beginning to gain popularity. ^[rx]

Barley Tea Nutrition Facts

It might have an impressive range of health benefits, due to the high concentrations of vitamin A, C, antioxidants, amino acids, selenium, melatonin, and tryptophan. Also, the minimum caffeine content might make it an excellent choice for anyone who wants to cut back on calories and boost their overall health.

Health Benefits of Barley Tea

Barley has various health benefits, including its ability to reduce blood levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-Cho), thereby lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease [rx,rx]; a low glycemic index that assists with blood glucose and insulin management [rx]; benefits for gut health [rx]; and ability to reduce visceral fat [rx]. The health benefits of barley have been verified with strong scientific evidence, and health claims have been supported by organizations such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health Canada, and Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) [rx,rx,rx].

Health benefits of barley tea include:

Might aid in Digestive Health

As a natural antacid, barley tea can help balance excess acidity in the gut and might prevent acid reflux. Furthermore, barley and barley tea might be rich in fiber, which can ease constipation and promote healthy bowel movements, thus reducing constipation, hemorrhoids, bloating, cramping, and stomach upset. ^[rx]

Might have Antioxidant Capacity

There might be a number of antioxidant compounds in this tea, as well as essential minerals like selenium, which can act on the body to prevent oxidative stress and might help you avoid chronic health diseases. ^[rx]

Might boost Immune System

The high levels of vitamin C present in barley tea may give your immune system a necessary boost by promoting the production of white blood cells, in addition to acting as an antioxidant and countering the negative effects of free radicals.

Might improve Circulation

Barley tea might be stimulating in nature and can increase blood flow, particularly by acting as an anticoagulant. This can reduce your chances of developing blood clots, and may also prevent atherosclerosis, heart attacks, stroke, and other cardiovascular complications. ^[rx]

Might be a Sleep Aid

The levels of tryptophan and melatonin found in barley tea might make it an excellent sleep aid. If you are suffering from insomnia, restless night, or regularly interrupted sleep, these compounds may trigger neurotransmitter release in the brain and aid you in falling into undisturbed sleep, followed by feeling refreshed in the morning.

Might improve Fertility

Selenium isn’t a mineral you often hear about, but it might be critical to certain aspects of male fertility and can protect the health of the prostate. The report concluded an inverse relationship between serum selenium levels and prostate cancer risk. ^[rx]

Might help in Diabetes

Barley tea might notably be low in sugar, despite its natural sweetness, and may help regulate blood sugar and insulin balance in the body. According to a recent study in the Journal of Food and Drug Analysis, the high antioxidative activity of phytochemicals present in barley might make it a beneficial natural means for the prevention of diabetes. In addition to barley phytochemicals’ antioxidant properties, barley phytochemical compounds might have strong anti-inflammatory actions and could thereby decrease diabetes and obesity risk. ^[rx]

Might aid in Weight Loss

Barley tea might also be very low in calories but can make you feel full, owing to the rich supply of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients found in the tea. This may help people avoid snacking between meals and overeating, while still stimulating the metabolism so passive fat burning can occur more effectively. ^[rx]

Might prevent Inflammation

The anti-inflammatory compounds found in barley tea may be great for joint pain, arthritis, gout, oxidative stress, and other inflammation issues throughout the body. The antioxidants found in it might be great for inflammatory conditions of all kinds, including those that affect neurodegenerative and chronic diseases. ^[rx]

Might help Pregnant Women

While most herbal teas might not be suggested for pregnant women, barley tea might contain ample amounts of potassium, niacin, iron, calcium, folic acid, and other critical nutrients for pregnancy. It may also be known to keep gestational diabetes at bay, coagulate the blood to prevent excessive bleeding during delivery, and prevent certain birth defects, such as spina bifida and neural tube defects. ^[rx]

Barley contains starch, dietary fiber such as beta-glucan, and the enzyme diastase. Barley is a purported galactagogue and is used by mothers in many cultures to increase their milk supply.[rx–rx]

Might help in Skin Care

Antioxidants might come in many forms within barley tea, and all of them can help with oxidative stress in the body, which might cause premature aging, wrinkles, and age spots. These beneficial compounds might also improve skin elasticity and keep you looking younger for longer!

Barley Tea Taste

The taste of barley tea may generally be nutty, warm and aromatic, but that all depends on the type of barley you use, the level to which it is roasted, and whether you are serving the tea cold or warm. Many people compare the taste to coffee, and it also has the dark appearance of everyone’s favorite caffeinated morning beverage.

However, it might be decidedly less bitter than coffee and tea, making it the perfect replacement for these popular drinks. It may have a natural sweetness to it, so it may not require sugar, lemon or honey, although some people choose to add a natural sweetener to barley tea. It should not be confused with barley water, a common beverage in the United Kingdom, which is prepared differently and might be more similar to lemonade than coffee or tea.

How to Make Barley Tea?

Making your own barley tea (Korean Boricha) at home may only require barley, water, a skillet, a coffee filter, a large pitcher, and about an hour of your time! To make this recipe even simpler, you can buy pre-roasted barley at almost any Asian market. Otherwise, simply buy normal barley and proceed through these simple steps for a refreshing summertime drink – or a warm, wintry treat! ^[rx]

Barley Tea Side Effects

As a grain-based tea, it might be a risk for those who suffer from Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, and it should also be taken with some caution by those with diabetes, as it might interact with certain medications commonly prescribed for diabetics.

• Gluten intolerance: The tea might contain gluten-containing grain, and should be avoided by those with gluten sensitivity
• Surgery: It might also be anticoagulant in nature, so it should be avoided by those who are undergoing surgery, as it may lead to complications ^[rx]
• Hyperglycemia medication: The blood sugar-reducing properties of barley tea might be dangerous for those who are already on hyperglycemia medication. So you should speak to your doctor before adding it to your diet, in this case.
• Breastfeeding: For pregnant women, there may actually be many benefits to barley tea and no known toxins in the tea that could be dangerous. However, it may not be suggested for mothers who are breastfeeding, as it can slow down or stop lactation.

What does the barley tea taste like?

• Barley tea’s flavor is often described as a toasted, nutty taste. It has a light taste compared to other tea, with a slightly bitter undertone.
• However, barley tea might have an acquired taste for those who’ve never taste it.
• The taste could vary depending on how much barley was used, how long and at what temperature the barley is roasted, and how long the tea is steeped.
• Please take your time to make barley tea according to your own preference! Barley Tea is Popular in Japan during summer
• If you visit Japan during the summertime, you will easily find barley tea in many places. Many Japanese make their barley tea at home, but they also enjoy barley tea products sold in grocery stores, convenience stores, vending machines, or restaurants. Barley tea is recommended to drink during summer because of two reasons.

Barley tea contains minerals

• Our sweat contains not only water but also minerals. Barley tea contains minerals such as sodium and potassium, which could be useful to supply the mineral loss during sweating.

Barley tea does not contain caffeine

• Unlike other teas, barley tea does not have caffeine content.
• Consuming a high intake of caffeine-containing beverages such as coffee, tea, and energy drinks in summer is something that you need to avoid because caffeine has a diuretic effect. The diuretic effect can increase the urinary losses of water and electrolytes which may lead to dehydration.
• In summer, you may experience dehydration or heat stroke caused by some conditions. Please make sure you are well hydrated before sleep during the summer. Excessive sweat while sleeping may cause dehydration which would make a heat stroke.
• Barley tea does not contain caffeine so it’s safe to drink even before bed.

Barley Tea Recipe ~ How to Steep Barley Tea?

There are few points to note before making barley tea at home:

• The best way to make hot barley tea is to use the whole roasted (ready to brew) barleys. The aroma is said to be easier to come out by boiling roasted barleys. Making a hot barley tea requires more effort for the preparation but can be done only in few minutes of boiling. This method (boiling) is perfect for those who are wishing to enjoy their barley tea with stronger taste and aroma.
• It is recommended to use tea bags to make iced barley tea with the cold brew method. It is a method where you steep tea using cool water and tea bags. Iced barley tea is lighter in color and taste but refreshing to drink nonetheless.
• Recently, there are the hybrid tea bags that can be simmered both for hot and iced barley tea.
  However, if you could not find those, please be careful not to use the tea bags for hot barley tea as it may impair the original flavor of the tea.
• Now that it’s all set, let’s learn how to make barley tea properly!

Buying and Storing Barley Tea

Where to buy barley tea?

Look for roasted barley tea or barley tea bag in a local Asian market, or you can buy it online. Some stores also provide ready-to-drink barley tea but don’t forget to try to make barley tea at home.

Barley tea is so easy to make, and could give you potential health benefits!

How to store barley tea?

• Generally, the shelf life of the brewed barley tea made at home is 2-3 days.
• After 2-3 days, the barley tea will have a sourness and unpleasant taste.
• Barley tea also contains starch, which is, simply, a lump of sugar. If barley tea is stored for a long time, this starch can feed various microorganisms. Always use a clean container, and always clean up the tea container every time you want to refill the tea to prevent the propagation of harmful microorganisms.
• For the whole roasted barley tea and tea bag’s shelf life, please check the product expiration date and follow the instruction in the package.

What is the best container to store barley tea?

• For brewed barley tea (hot/iced): please store it in a glass pitcher or container with the lid closed, and place it in the refrigerator. Plastic containers are not suitable because they might have scratches or uneven parts that will affect the tea taste.
• For whole roasted barley tea and tea bags: please store it in the air-tight container and save it in the cool at room temperature.

Barley Tea Q&A

What is barley tea?

 Barley tea (mugicha) is a tea made with roasted barley and water. It may be enjoyed hot and iced, sweetened or unsweetened.

 Why do you drink barley tea during summer in Japan?

 There are 2 reasons for this. The first reason is that barley tea contains minerals (sodium and potassium) that could be useful to supply mineral loss during sweating in the summertime. Secondly, barley tea is safe to drink and could supply daily hydration for your body during summer. Barley tea does not contain caffeine that may cause a diuretic effect which may cause dehydration because of excessive urination.

 How much barley tea should you drink a day?

 Like most other foods, barley tea is safe to take in moderate amounts. You may incorporate your water consumption together with barley tea because it contains minerals that are good for your body. Barley tea is also good to drink during the diet because it is low in calories.

 Is it safe to drink barley tea during pregnancy?

 Barley tea is safe to drink for pregnant women, nursing women, and even children because it is caffeine-free. Barley tea is reported safe to drink in every research report and considered a healthy beverage.

What are the health benefits of barley tea?

• Rich in antioxidants
• Acts as Anticoagulant
• Helps you Relax and Sleep Better
• Relieves Cold and Flu

What are the side effects of barley tea?

 People with a grain allergy, gluten sensitivity, or celiac disease may want to avoid barley tea. Please consult further with your physician if you have a serious allergy issue before actually consuming barley tea.

 Where to buy barley tea?

 Get your roasted barley tea or barley tea bag in a local Asian market, or you can buy it online. If you are in Japan, barley tea could easily be found in grocery stores, convenience stores, vending machines, or restaurants (summer is the easiest time to find barley tea!).

 How to store barley tea?

 Brewed barley tea can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Please discard the tea if it exceeds 3 days. Store it in a glass pitcher or container with the lid closed. Always use a clean container and clean up the container every time you want to refill the tea. In the case of the whole roasted barley tea and tea bags, check the product expiration date in the product package. Store it in an air-tight container and keep it cool at room temperature.

 

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