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Barley tea is a popular drink in Japan, Korea, and China with a nutty, warm flavor. It is traditionally served in the summer and believed to draw impurities out of the blood. The tea can be made by boiling barley grains in water and adjusting the amount for desired flavor. It is often served plain and can be brewed in cold water or as a sun tea. Regular barley can be roasted as a substitute for roasted barley.
Barley tea is tea made with roasted barley. This tea is especially popular in Japan, Korea, and China, although it is consumed in other Asian nations and regions with large Asian communities. It has a very nutty, warm flavor that some people find an acquired taste. Asian markets often carry roasted barley which can be used to make tea, and some also carry tea bags which can be used for a quick brew.
In Japan, barley tea is known as mugicha and is traditionally served in the summer as a refreshing drink. The Japanese also believe it helps draw impurities out of the blood and thins the blood in hot summer weather. In Korea, the tea is known as boricha and is drunk hot in the winter and cool in the summer. The Chinese sometimes combine this tea with heavy meals to aid digestion and use it to treat nausea.
Traditionally, tea is made by tossing a handful of barley grains into a kettle of water, bringing the boil to a boil, and then allowing the tea to steep briefly before pouring. In some households, the kettle may simply be left out on the stove, with family members helping themselves as desired. Over the course of the day, the flavor of the tea will deepen, becoming increasingly nutty and intense.
Individual teapots and cups of barley tea can also be made. The amount of barley can be adjusted, depending on the desired flavor. Some Korean cooks like their tea so intense it almost tastes like coffee, while the Japanese often enjoy slightly more aromatic drinks in the summer months. It can also be brewed in cold water or as a sun tea, which can be useful in the summer when cooks don’t want to heat up the kitchen by boiling water.
This tea is traditionally served plain, allowing people to appreciate the flavor as it is. In regions where cooks have a hard time finding roasted barley to prepare, regular barley can be roasted in a heavy saucepan on the stove or in a skillet in the oven. If possible, whole barley in its husk should be used, so that the expected nutty flavor develops. The barley should be tossed periodically as it toasts, ensuring that all the grains turn an even brown in the process.
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