John Westfield

I'm a lifelong cooking enthusiast with a special love for strange and underused ingredients. I hope this blog helps open your mind to more of the wonderful edible treasures around us.

Where does barley originate from?

The wild ancestor of domesticated barley, Hordeum vulgare subsp. Spontaneum, is abundant in grasslands and woodlands throughout the Fertile Crescent area of Western Asia and northeast Africa, and is abundant in disturbed habitats, roadsides, and orchards. Barley is an important feed grain in many areas of the world not typically suited for maize production, especially …

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Does barley make you poop?

Most of the fiber found in barley is insoluble, which — unlike soluble fiber — does not dissolve in water. Instead, it adds bulk to your stool and accelerates intestinal movement, reducing your likelihood of constipation (13). Of course, barley causes gas and makes you feel bloated. This is largely due to the high amounts …

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What barley is?

Barley is a cereal grain with a chewy texture and mild, nutty flavor. It’s the seed of a type of grass that grows in temperate climates throughout the world and one of the first grains to have been farmed by ancient civilizations. In fact, archeological evidence suggests that barley was grown in Egypt over 10,000 …

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