Barley is an important farm crop in many regions of the world. Like wheat, rice, and corn (maize), barley is a grain. Grains are grasses with starchy seeds that are suitable for use as food. Barley seeds—called kernels or barleycorns—can be made into flour, fed to animals, or put through a process called malting to produce other foods and beverages.

Where barley is grown

Barley grows in a broader geographic range than any other grain, from very cold to very warm regions. Because it takes less time to grow and ripen than any other grain, it is a useful crop in regions where the growing season is very short, such as near the Himalayas or in the far north. Barley also grows better than other small grains where the climate is dry. As a result, it has also become an important food grain in northern Africa.

Physical features

A barley plant grows to a height of about 1 to 4 feet (30 to 122 centimeters). The leaves are long and thin. At the ends of the stems are large seed heads called spikes. A typical barley spike may be 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10 centimeters) long. Each seed head has between two and six rows of kernels depending on the type of barley. The individual kernels are small.

Growth cycle

Farmers raise barley as either a winter crop or a spring crop. Winter barley is planted in the fall. After growing a little, it rests through the winter and then starts growing again in the spring. Harvesting of winter barley typically takes place in mid-summer. In North America and western Europe barley is more commonly planted in the spring and harvested in late summer.

Uses

About half of the barley grown in the world is used in animal feed. The rest of the crop is used for human foods and for malting. People commonly use a form of the grain called pearl barley in hot cereal and soups. Pearl barley is pearly white because the outer husk and bran of the kernel have been removed. Barley is also ground into flour and used to make bread. The process of malting involves soaking the grain in water until it begins to sprout and then drying it out with hot air. Malted barley is used mostly to make beer and other alcoholic beverages, but is also a part of such food products as malted milk, malt syrup, malt vinegar, and breakfast cereals.

History

People in ancient Egypt grew barley as long ago as 5000 BC. Northern Europe, Southeast Asia, and China are other areas where barley cultivation goes back thousands of years. Barley was the chief bread plant in Europe through the 1500s, when wheat took its place.