It’s true. I looked it up. AI agrees with me, too. And look at where I had to put this: in “Appetizers & Side Dish Discussion”. There’s no “Barley Discussion” header, now, is there? Of course not, it wouldn’t have any posts. Until now. Barley makes up only 0.36% of all grain consumption in the US. Most barley goes to cattle feed and beer making.
There are a lot of reasons for this. A quick google of that question says that the flavor is unfamiliar, it has a reputation as “a poor man’s grain” (“that weird thing in some soups”), it takes too long to cook/people don’t know how to cook it, or that people just don’t think about it. Among those familiar with barley, it has gluten, and many of those people have gluten sensitivity (which is probably why they went looking and are now familiar with it), or worry about its place in their diet.
This stuff is delicious! And good for you: pearled barley is high in fiber, triple that of white rice. Barley has a glycemic index of only 26, compared to 73 for white rice and 55 for brown rice. Barley is high in beta-glucan, which binds to cholesterol and lowers LDLs. This is a rare, rare intersection in the food world: tastes good, along with good for you! It tastes like meaty, chewy rice, with a nutty flavor all its own. It really complements beef and chicken, less so pork and turkey, IMO.
Barley with mushrooms, onions and peppers, and cheese. I sautéed the mushrooms, then added that to 1 1/2 cups of pearled barley, 3 cups of vegetable broth, some garlic and some thyme. Into the Instant Pot for 18 minutes, 10 minutes of slow release, then full release. Because Mary Joan can’t have onions or hot peppers, I then sautéed those separately for myself, and stirred in the barley and mushrooms and cheese.
As part of a balanced breakfast.
Nom, nom!
Of course nobody would hear a peep from me if they chose to forego the benefits of the whole/pearled grain, and decided to drink it instead. But that is another story, and one that actually does have its own discussion!
There are a lot of reasons for this. A quick google of that question says that the flavor is unfamiliar, it has a reputation as “a poor man’s grain” (“that weird thing in some soups”), it takes too long to cook/people don’t know how to cook it, or that people just don’t think about it. Among those familiar with barley, it has gluten, and many of those people have gluten sensitivity (which is probably why they went looking and are now familiar with it), or worry about its place in their diet.
This stuff is delicious! And good for you: pearled barley is high in fiber, triple that of white rice. Barley has a glycemic index of only 26, compared to 73 for white rice and 55 for brown rice. Barley is high in beta-glucan, which binds to cholesterol and lowers LDLs. This is a rare, rare intersection in the food world: tastes good, along with good for you! It tastes like meaty, chewy rice, with a nutty flavor all its own. It really complements beef and chicken, less so pork and turkey, IMO.
Barley with mushrooms, onions and peppers, and cheese. I sautéed the mushrooms, then added that to 1 1/2 cups of pearled barley, 3 cups of vegetable broth, some garlic and some thyme. Into the Instant Pot for 18 minutes, 10 minutes of slow release, then full release. Because Mary Joan can’t have onions or hot peppers, I then sautéed those separately for myself, and stirred in the barley and mushrooms and cheese.
As part of a balanced breakfast.
Nom, nom!
Of course nobody would hear a peep from me if they chose to forego the benefits of the whole/pearled grain, and decided to drink it instead. But that is another story, and one that actually does have its own discussion!
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