Barley Tea

Direction for Barley Milk Tea:

1. Boil 1 liter of water.
2. Add 30g of barley tea and continue to boil for 2 or more minutes.
3. Mix with milk and sugar or use condensed sweet milk.
4. Serve either hot or cold.

Barley Tea is known as Mugisha in Japan and Horicha in Korea.

Roasted Barley Tea is a very popular hot weather beverage that's noted for cooling down the body and cleansing the system.

Roasted Barley Tea is a caffeine-free coffee substitute.

Roasted Barley Tea is a remedy for cold and flu for breaking up congestion, phlegm and other symptoms of the nasty seasonal bug. It is also useful for those suffering from bronchitis and asthma.

Barley-based teas are used as treatment for hemorrhoids, inflammatory arthritis and are believed to help reduce toxicity and side-effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Herbalists use barley concoctions to treat gravel stones and flush out kidneys and for centuries

Old World doctors have recommended this plain barley water as a first food for babies and for bedridden patients whose stomachs cannot handle solid foods.

Barley water is a very nutritious cooling drink that helps bring down fever.

To brew:
2 ounces roasted barley (1/4 cup)
1 1/2 pints water
honey, can be added to help sooth sore throat
lemons, can be added to help sooth sore throat

To make plain barley water
Put two ounces of barley into a small saucepan along with 1-1/2 pints of water.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 minutes.
Strain through cheesecloth, forcing out all the juice.

Roast barley can be easily ground in a pepper grinder.

To make cold Mugicha place 1/3 cup ground roasted barley in a tea sock and let soak in a half gallon pitcher over night in the fridge. This makes a lightly coffee flavored, cold drink.

Roast the barley until it is brown.

To Roast barley

Use pot or pearl barley-pearled barley being more refined than pot barley but making no difference to the tea.

Measure barley into a sieve and rinse under cold running water.

Towel dry.

In a hot cast iron skillet (a drop of water sizzles when dropped into pan).

Put barley in skillet and dry roast, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for even toasting, until it turns golden.

Cool and grind.

Then roast again until fragrant and very dark-- but not burnt.

Use in place of regular ground coffee, experimenting with amounts until desired strength is reached.