Pearly barley....

Mum used to boil barley water for the family. This beverage is well loved by many in tropical countries in South East Asia. Chinese families treated the beverage as a cooling agent for the body.

Barley, this little pearl liked 'bean' has other medicinal use than bringing down 'heat'. It is a healing and cleansing agent as well. It is a non-expensive but good dessert and beverage for all.

Goodness of Barley...

1) High in fibre and it is a kidney cleanser. Regular intake helps to prevent heart disease.

2) BARLEY water as a regular drink. It will clean the kidney. Check your urine before and after the drink and see what is the difference. An Australian naturopath indicated that barley is known to be a kidney cleanser.

3) Barley is good for your intestinal health. It's high in fibre which feeds the friendly bacteria in the colon and helps speed up the transit of fecal matter in it. In this way it helps prevent hemorrhoids and colon cancer.

4) The prop ionic acid and beta glucan from barley's insoluble fibre help lower cholesterol and prevent formation of gallstones.

5) Eating barley regularly is a preventive step against heart disease. Besides fibre content, it is high in niacin, a B vitamin good for lowering cholesterol.

6) Barley is also for the Diabetics. Barley fibre prevent blood sugar levels from rising too high. It provides relief from constipation or diarrhoea for those suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

7) Barley's richness in selenium prevents cancer and relieves symptoms of asthma and arthritis. It is a good source of manganese, copper and phosphorous.

8) Malt sugar comes from sprouted barley which, when fermented, is an ingredient in beer and other alcoholic beverages.

9) Barley's Latin name is " hordeum vulgare". It has a history of for more than 10,000 years. In ancient times, barley has been used for healing purposes. It has been known to the Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Athletes in Greece and Rome in those days were known to eat barley bread to give them strength.

Some ways to eat Barley

1) Boiled barley with water, add beancurd skin, add gingko nuts, add rock sugar and it is a dessert. Beat an egg into the hot boiling dessert before serving. It can be served in both cold and hot depending on one's preference.

2) Boiled barley water and drink it as a beverage. The remaining barley beads, add condensed milk and eat it like a dessert. In this way, you eat everything there is and not throw away anything.

3) There are larger pearly barley. Boil it and add a little starch to thicken the soup. Add rock sugar and coconut milk, humn.m.m.m.m. YUMMY!

4) Barley can also be boiled into soup. Add winter melon, barley and pork ribs...Da.a.a.da! You have a soup for your dinner or just eat it as is.

So much for my craze in Barley! Enjoy, try it and let me know.

Cheers to good health!!!