Hulled barley
Title | Info |
---|---|
Common name | Barley |
Scientific name | Hordeum vulgare |
Taxonomic group | Poaceae |
Source | Dan L. Perlman |
Economic botany | Food plants; Fermented products |
Food plants | Grains and cereals |
Keywords | Gramineae |
Date | 1998 |
Barley. One of the oldest cultivated plants, barley was first domesticated about 10,000 years ago in southwestern Asia, in the Fertile Crescent. It is used for feeding animals, for creating malt, and for human food. To create malt, the seeds are allowed to germinate, then dried and cooked a bit. When water is added, the mixture can ferment. To create beer one adds hops; otherwise, fermented barley can be distilled into vodka, gin, or whiskey.