Do you know what a glass of beer, a loaf of bread, a bowl of porridge, and a standard of measurement all have in common? they all began with barley. Barley’s once exalted status has now been redefined and chef’s all over the globe have been experimenting with it to see how many ways can we incorporate this grain into our diets.

Barley’s rich ancient history is one that’s truly remarkable. It was not only prevalent in the Middle East and the Mediterranean throughout history, but remains have been found on agricultural sites at the southern end of the Sea of Galilee dating back several thousand years to approximately 8500 B.C. It was also the food of the Roman Gladiators who were referred to as hordearii or “barley men”. These warriors believed that barley bread gave them more strength and stamina as compared to other foods.

Pot barley has a chewy texture and mild grain flavour to it. It is harvested with the hull intact and then put through a potting process. Potting is a scouring process that removes the outer hull of the barley kernel but leaves the bran layer intact.