Barley coffee: the benefits and harms of a coffee drink, reviews and recipes

What is barley coffee

Barley coffee is a drink made from roasted, ground and brewed barley grains. Ripe ears of barley are collected, the grains are sorted and washed. After this, the grains are roasted, they are ground, and then brewed.

People have been eating barley for more than 4 thousand years. It contains protein and nutritious fiber necessary for our body. It contains vitamins and beneficial microelements in large quantities.

It helps cleanse the body of toxins and lowers blood sugar levels. It contains beta-glucans - plant carbohydrates found in the cell walls of oats, barley, mushrooms, algae and some other plants. They help cleanse the cells of our body from harmful substances and replenish its reserves of useful elements.

Taste of the drink

The color and consistency of barley coffee is very similar in appearance to the natural product. The size of the crema will depend on the method of preparation - an espresso machine produces a denser and fluffier crema than when brewing in a Turk.

Barley does not contain as many essential oils as coffee beans, so it does not leave traces or odors on the dishes. The taste is soft, with notes of fried bread; when chicory is present, the coffee tones become more pronounced. Adding milk makes the drink similar to cappuccino.

This cereal drink tastes much softer than natural coffee. It has a pleasant bready aroma. When cooked, a dense and high foam is obtained.

When adding milk, it tastes most like cappuccino. You can get a coffee aroma and taste by adding a little chicory.

Barley decoction can be considered as one of the alternatives to natural coffee. It is beneficial for the body, does not overstimulate the nervous system, and has a pleasant taste and aroma. Barley coffee is easy to prepare at home, and both adults and children can drink it.

Barley coffee brands

Italian producers of regular coffee include a coffee drink made from barley in their range as a separate type of organic product, addressed to adherents of a healthy lifestyle.

Barley coffee is produced in Switzerland, Spain, New Zealand and the USA. You can also find products from Russian companies on store shelves.

Coffee "Barley ear". The drink has been produced. Contains barley and chicory. Packaged in a bright, soft container with a convenient reusable clasp. The powder has a bready smell; when brewed with boiling water, a lush, thick foam forms, which then disappears. Recommended to be consumed with cream and sugar. It has a low price, accessible to everyone.
"Health". Manufacturer: Coffee LLC. The drink has a mild taste, vaguely reminiscent of natural coffee, and dissolves well.
"Golden Ear". A substitute for natural coffee made from roasted barley and rye has a specific bitter taste that can be drowned out with sugar, cream, and condensed milk.
"Old Mill". The product is produced in Russia, does not contain caffeine, and has valuable nutritional properties. The disadvantage of barley powder is poor solubility; lumps remain.
Barley coffee "Happiness". Made from selected barley grains, ready in 10 minutes. It is not addictive and does not harm the body. It has an amazing taste, an invigorating, tonic effect, and helps to get rid of excess weight. It can be consumed by people with diabetes and those for whom coffee is contraindicated.
"Crastan Orzo". The healthy drink is produced in Italy and is sold in a can containing 125 grams of the product, additionally protected with a foil lid. Used at any time of the day, does not contain sugar or caffeine.

P.S. Barley coffee cannot serve as a complete replacement for regular coffee, as it lacks an invigorating effect . The drink is recommended by nutritionists as an element of a healthy diet due to its high content of nutrients with minimal contraindications.

How to use and cook

You can make a similar drink at home yourself. Cooking process:

Take 3 teaspoons of barley grain.
Rinse the grain well, then dry on a napkin.
Heat a dry frying pan and pour in the dried barley.
Stir with a spatula until the grains darken and a characteristic pleasant smell appears.
Cool.
Grind in a coffee grinder.
Pour barley powder into boiling water.
Leave with the lid closed for 4 minutes.

The ready-made instant product “Old Mill” will take much less time to prepare. Buy instant barley product “Old Mill” in the store. The recipe is written on the package. We recommend 1 or 2 teaspoons of the product per 200 ml of boiled water. The drink invigorates, so it is better to drink it in the morning.

Beneficial features

A coffee drink made from barley has a calming effect and is useful for stress and nervous disorders. It does not have a clear invigorating effect on the body and helps restore the nervous system.

This cereal decoction is good for the digestive system. It cleanses the gastrointestinal tract of toxins and waste and stimulates digestion. Improves the functioning of the stomach and intestines, helps cope with constipation.

Affects the endocrine system, helps to align and balance hormonal levels.

Barley coffee affects metabolism and activates metabolism. This drink contains B vitamins, vitamins A, D, E, as well as magnesium, iodine, phosphorus, potassium and a host of other useful minerals.

Barley has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and circulatory system, improves hematopoietic processes and stabilizes the water-salt balance. Drinking barley infusion serves as a good prevention of diabetes. Due to its high fiber content, it slows down the absorption of carbohydrates, which in turn normalizes blood glucose levels.

It also helps cope with inflammatory processes in the body and makes you feel better with problems with the nasopharynx or throat disease. Serves as a good preventive measure for such diseases. Reduces pain from arthritis and rheumatism.

Barley coffee contains a lot of lysine and silicon, which, in turn, are responsible for the production of collagen. Collagen is an essential protein for the body, it makes up 25 to 35 percent of all proteins in our body and is responsible for the firmness, strength and elasticity of our skin, hair, cartilage and other parts of the body. Thus, this drink will help you maintain the beauty and health of your skin and hair.

Cereal broth contains a lot of protein and carbohydrates and has a tonic effect. It is recommended to speed up recovery from injuries, stress, operations, and general fatigue. The lack of caffeine allows you to calmly drink the drink in the afternoon without consequences for the nervous system - you can drink a cup of this coffee late in the evening and then sleep soundly all night.

Contraindications

Due to the high calorie content of barley coffee, this must be taken into account when planning your diet.

No harmful effects of barley coffee drink on the human body have been found, but there is one small nuance. Those who watch their figure should be careful when choosing such coffee, because the drink is very high in calories. KBJU for a cup of coffee 25/1/1/5. These indicators must be included in the accounting of daily Kcal consumption. There are no contraindications, so pregnant women and children can drink it. It can cause harm if it is improperly prepared and consumed in large quantities, and a couple of cups a day will only help you become more alert. Individual intolerance to the components is possible.

If you are still not ready to immediately give up drinking coffee, we recommend that you gradually switch first to coffee drinks with a lot of milk and cream - Frappuccino, coffee with cream, Viennese style, with ice cream.

Public opinion

People who care about their health tend to make barley coffee and leave reviews about it:

Inna Ostapova, Moscow: “I bought a 100-gram pack for 35 rubles. Contains rye and barley. The taste is pleasant, milky-cereal, the smell is sweetish, burnt, not particularly expressive. It cooks quickly, just stir a couple of spoons in hot water. Lumps appear that need to be whisked. Thanks to the drink, my husband and I limited our coffee consumption, which saved us a lot financially.”

Sergey Popov, Togliatti: “I am a long-time coffee lover, I drink 6-7 cups a day. When I felt that I had problems with my heartbeat, I decided to replace my favorite drink with something, since I couldn’t give it up completely. A friend recommended a natural substitute - barley coffee. I haven’t gotten used to the taste yet, the bready smell confuses me, but I noticed the benefits for the body after a week. The general level of vigor has increased, blood pressure and heart rate have normalized.”

Elena Portnova, Tatarstan : “I am a housewife, I have a lot of free time, so making coffee from barley is a pleasure for me, not work. I fry them according to my own taste; when I want a more bitter drink, I overcook them a little, when I want a softer drink, I overcook them a little. I pour it into a glass jar and enjoy. I noticed that the extra pounds disappeared, my complexion improved, and my hair stopped falling out. The taste of barley coffee is pleasant, I add a little milk.”

Cooking recipes

"Classical". 3 tsp. large grains are thoroughly washed, laid out on a napkin until completely dry. The frying pan becomes very hot without adding oil; dry seeds are poured onto it, which are constantly stirred until they darken. Cool and grind with a coffee grinder. 200 ml is poured into the Turk. water and pour the powder. After boiling, the dishes are removed from the heat, and the drink is infused under a closed lid for 5 minutes.
"Fragrant". Pearl barley, barley and rye are washed in running water, transferred to a bowl into which cold water is poured 2-3 cm above the food. The cereal mixture is left overnight. The next day, the liquid is drained and the seeds are washed again. The grains are poured into boiling water and cooked until they begin to open. The crops are placed in a colander, washed and dried. Then they are fried and ground into a fine powder, which is poured into water and boiled for about three minutes from the moment of boiling. Instant chicory is added to the finished drink, and everything is infused for 5-10 minutes. You can add 2 tsp. natural honey to enhance healing properties.
"Gentle". Washed and dried barley grains are ground. 100 ml. water and 200 ml. milk is poured into one container, into which 4 teaspoons of cereal powder are added. The mixture is boiled for three minutes, sugar and cream or ice cream are added, which can be replaced with lemon, cinnamon, honey.

The simplest recipe

This cooking method requires minimal effort and time.

Grind the roasted barley grains in a coffee grinder.
Put 1-2 tbsp. l. grind into a cup, pour boiling water over it and let it brew for a few minutes.

Classic recipe

You will need a glass of water (about 200 ml) and 3 teaspoons of barley grains.

Rinse the beans and dry them (you can put them on a paper towel to speed up the process).
Heat a frying pan over a fire and pour dry grains onto it. Do not add oil!
Fry the grains over medium heat until darkened and a characteristic smell appears.
You can grind the cooled roasted grain in a coffee grinder.
Add ground barley powder to the pot and cook until it boils.
As soon as the coffee has boiled, remove the Turk from the heat and let it stand for a few minutes under the lid.
Add coffee to a mug and enjoy a delicious, aromatic drink!

Recipe with milk

You will need 100 ml of water, 200 ml of milk and approximately 4-5 teaspoons of barley grains.

Wash and dry the grains.
Fry them over medium heat without oil.
Place the roasted beans in a coffee grinder and grind them.
Add milk and water to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil.
Add the ground powder and cook for 2-3 minutes.

You can add cream, honey or ice cream to taste. The result is a very delicate and aromatic drink.

With rye

Wash 3 tablespoons of barley and rye and soak in water for a day. Drain the liquid, add drinking water and boil. When the grains begin to open, remove from heat and rinse again. Dry the mixture, fry in a dry frying pan, cool and grind.

To avoid wasting time on preparation, buy ready-made barley-rye powder at the store for preparing a coffee drink. Ingredient proportions: heaping tablespoon of dry mixture per 150 ml of water. You can add half a teaspoon of chicory. Boil for 2-3 minutes and leave covered for the same amount of time. Sugar, honey, milk - to taste.

In culinary blogs, in addition to well-known and established options for making coffee from barley and mixtures with it, you can also find very unexpected and daring recipes.

With carrots

For 200 ml of water: 100 g carrots, 100 g barley, 10 g sugar. Wash the carrots thoroughly, peel, grate and dry. Wash the barley grains, scatter them on a baking sheet, dry well and grind.

Mix ingredients and fry. Add the barley-carrot mixture to boiling water at the rate of 1-2 teaspoons per cup, cook for 10-15 minutes, leave for 5-10 minutes. Strain. Sugar, honey, milk or cream - to taste.

Additional Tips

When roasting barley, you can experiment; the more you roast the grain, the darker it will be, the denser the taste, the more bitterness will appear, and vice versa.
You can try making a blend - fry half the beans for the drink lightly, the other half more. This way, over time, you will be able to find your own special recipe for frying and preparing this cereal decoction.
If you want to add flavor and color, you can also add half a teaspoon of chicory when cooking.
Stores also sell pre-ground or even instant barley coffee, such as Old Mill or Barley Ear. It is inexpensive and will help you save cooking time.