Barley water

Barley water

Spanish barley water – agua de cebada
Ingredients	barley, water, flavourings

Barley water is a traditional drink consumed in various parts of the world. It is made by boiling barley grains in water, then (usually) straining to remove the grains, and possibly adding other ingredients such as sugar.

Variations

• Kykeon (κυκεών, from Ancient Greek : κυκάω, romanized: kykaō, lit.  'to stir, to mix') was a drink made mainly of water, barley and naturally occurring substances. It was used at the climax of the Eleusinian Mysteries to break a sacred fast, but it was also a favourite drink of Greek peasants. ^[1]
• Agua de cebada, in Spanish-speaking countries, is made with malted barley, sugar and lemon. ^[2] In El Salvador, however, this name is used to refer to a different drink that is bright pink and is now made with wheat or rice instead of the original barley. ^[3]
• The British version is made by boiling washed pearl barley, straining, and adding fruit juice, typically lemon, and sugar to taste. ^[4] The fruit rind may also be boiled with the barley. The Robinsons brand of the drink was the official supplier to the Wimbledon tennis tournament and sponsored the event for over 80 years until 2022. ^[5]
• East Asian and Southeast Asian versions are typically not strained and may be consumed hot or cold, with or without lime. These kinds of barley water generally include the strained grain within the drink. Hot barley water is often served with a spoon and cold barley water with a straw so that the soft-boiled grains can be eaten.
• Roasted barley tea is a popular East Asian drink. The roasted barley is strained and removed before drinking. ^[6]
• It is a popular drink in India. It is called jau ka sattu in Punjabi.

Barley water has been used as a first baby food, before feeding with barley mush. It is also used as a home treatment that allegedly cures cystitis. ^[7]

Nutrition

The following nutritional tables are from an analysis performed on a British-style barley water recipe. Nutrients listed are for one serving of 299g. ^[8] Prepared from pearl barley, lemon juice and honey, ^[9] it contains 11 grams of honey and the juice of a quarter of a lemon, per serve. The proportion of major nutrients was found to be: carbohydrates, 89%; fats, 3%; protein, 8%. This version of barley water was analysed as a "good" source of fibre and vitamin C. ^[8]

Nutrient analysis: major nutrients ^[8]

Nutrient	Value	% DV*
Calories	125.6
Calories from fat (2.8%)	3.5
Water	27.9g
Sodium	3.5mg	1%
Potassium	114.6mg	3%
Protein	2.8g
Carbohydrates	31.1g
Net carbs	25.9g
Fibre	5.2g	21%
*Note: Percent daily values (% DV) are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Percentage values will differ, according to calorie requirements and intake. [8]

Nutrient analysis: Sugars ^[8]

Nutrient	Value
Sugar	8.9g
Glucose	3.8g
Fructose	4.3g
Maltose	0.1g
Galactose	0.3g
Sucrose	0.1g

Nutrient analysis: Fats ^[8]

Nutrient	Value
Total fat	0.4g
Saturated fat	0.1g
Monounsaturated fat	0g
Polyunsaturated fat	0.2g

Nutrient analysis: Vitamins and minerals ^[8]

Nutrient	Value	% DV*
Vitamin A	0.8μg (13.6IU)	1%
Vitamin B6	0.1mg	7%
Vitamin B12	0μg	0%
Vitamin C	20.9mg	35%
Vitamin D	0μg	0%
Vitamin D2	0μg
Vitamin D3	0μg
Vitamin E	0mg	0%
Vitamin K	0.5μg
Calcium	24.3mg	3%
Iron	0.8mg	11%
Magnesium	23.2mg	7%
Phosphorus	59.7mg	6%
Zinc	0.6mg	4%
Copper	0.2mg	9%
Fluoride	0.7μg
Manganese	0.3mg	17%
Selenium	9.5μg	14%
Retinol	0μg
Lycopene	0μg
Thiamine	0.1mg	4%
Riboflavin	0mg	2%
Niacin	1.2mg	6%
Folate	6μg	2%
Choline	9.7mg	2%
Betaine	0.2mg
*Note: Percent daily values (% DV) are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Percentage values will differ, according to calorie requirements and intake. [8]

See also

• Drink portal

• Coffee substitute
• List of barley-based drinks
• List of lemon dishes and drinks
• Rice water

References

1. Webster, Peter; Ruck, Carl; Perrine, Daniel M. (2000). "Mixing the kykeon". Eleusis: Journal of Psychoactive Plants and Compounds (in English and Italian). 4: 55–86. ISSN   1129-7301. New series. Retrieved 25 September 2019. Link – via Researchgate.
2. Camelias, Maggie (23 June 2018). "La horchata, la leche merengada, el agua de cebada y el granizado de limón sí son para el verano". Sibaritisimo. República (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 January 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019. Para entendernos, el agua de cebada es una bebida hecha a base de malta, primero tostada y después cocinada con caña de azúcar, a la que se añade un poco de limón granizado.
3. "Fresco de Cebada". 196Flavors.
4. "Pearl barley recipes". BBC Food. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
5. Kollewe, Julia (24 June 2022). "Robinsons and Wimbledon end 86-year partnership". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
6. Picincu, Andra (2018). "The health benefits of roasted barley tea". SFGate. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
7. Alexander, Margaret F; Fawcett, Josephine N; Runciman, Phyllis J (2000), "Cystitis", Nursing practice, hospital and home: The adult, Churchill Livingstone, ISBN   9780443060137
8. "Barley Water". Eat This Much. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
9. Brown, Alton (2016) [First published 2016, Ballantine Books]. EveryDayCook (Kindle ed.). New York: Random House. ISBN   978-1101885710. (Kindle locations: 3373-3378).
   • As cited in "Barley Water". Eat This Much website.