Barley tea has been a popular drink in many cultures for centuries. It is made from pearl barley or barley grain and has a pleasant, mellow nutty flavor. Since it is not made from tea leaves, barley tea is caffeine-free making it a great alternative to coffee and tea. It’s tasty, refreshing, and healthy and can be served both hot and cold. Learn what barley tea is, how to make it, and its health benefits here.
What is Mugicha – Roasted Barley Tea?
Roasted barley tea, called Mugicha in Japanese, is a popular drink in Japan, Korea, and China. Although it is called barley “tea”, it is not technically a tea. Typical teas like black tea and green tea all come from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. However, barley tea is made from roasted barley grains. Roasting the grains gives the drink a toasty flavor with muted bitter undertones.
Mugicha is also a well liked drink amongst children in Japan because of its subtle nutty sweetness, making it a great substitute for plain water and sugary beverages. Plus it has an array of health benefits (read below for more detail), such as aiding in digestion and improving sleep quality. Another similar and common drink is barley water. This is made by boiling raw barley kernels rather than roasting and steeping them. Just like barley tea, it can be enjoyed both hot and cold.
Where you can buy Mugicha Roasted Barley Tea?
In Japan, it’s very easy to find mugicha anywhere; however it’s not as easy in western countries. Nowadays, you can buy ready made and packaged one portion barley tea bags from Japanese or Asian grocery stores but they can be quite costly. But, finding barley is very easy. Barley kernels can be found in nearly any supermarket and are very inexpensive. Then all you need to do roast them in a skillet and boil to make this delicious tea easily and cheaply at home.
What you will need to make Barley tea from scratch
You’ll only need one ingredient: a packet of pearl barley. You’ll usually find this stocked in the same aisle as soup stocks, lentils, and other beans. This is because it’s often used in cooking soups, salads, and risottos. A bag only costs about $1 to $2.
A pan and a pot will also be necessary.
How to roast at home
This is a very simple barley tea recipe with just a few steps.
- Wash the pearl barley grains to remove any dirt and debris.
- Sun dry the washed barley grains on a mesh tray (put a cover so that birds will not eat them).
- Roast the grains in a frying pan over low to medium heat. – I roasted over a fireplace so it took about 50 minutes. It will probably take 20 minutes to roast it over a proper cooking top.
- Allow to cool completely then store in an airtight container.
How to brew
- Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a kettle or pot over high heat.
- Add 4 tbsp roasted barley kernels to the boiling water and simmer for 10-15 minutes over low heat.
- Turn the heat off and serve through a strainer. Once it’s cooled down, you can chill the brewed barley tea in a pitcher in the refrigerator to serve cold.
Serve Barley Tea Hot or Cold
Barley tea is delicious both as a chilled or hot tea. It’s the most popular summer drink in Japan because it’s a refreshing ice tea with a mellow bittersweet taste. In Japan and Asian/Japanese supermarkets outside of Japan, you can find packets of mugicha tea bags that are manufactured to be prepared both hot and cold. These tea bags can be steeped in cold water using a tea bag for a cold brew mugicha or put in a pot to boil for a hot brew. For our homemade version, this doesn’t work exactly the same way. To serve homemade chilled barley tea, first prepare the tea hot then leave in the fridge to chill.
Health Benefits of Barley Tea
Barley tea is not only a tasty and refreshing beverage; it is also beneficial to your health. Not only is it full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that aid in balancing, cleansing, and detoxifying the body but they also help to eliminate free radicals to prevent cell damage. It’s also rich in fibre for good digestion and may help to reduce inflammation and control blood sugar levels.
Since barley tea is made from brewing roasted barley kernels rather than tea leaves, it is caffeine free. This makes it a great option for those wanting the slightly bitter taste of coffee and tea without the side effects like a caffeine crash. The tea also contains high levels of melatonin, which is known for its ability to promote relaxation and quality sleep, making it the perfect nighttime beverage. Plus it has no calories! It’s truly a wonder drink. However, despite all the great health benefits of barley tea, be advised that barley does contain gluten and is therefore not suitable for anyone who is intolerant to gluten or has celiac disease.
Tips for Making Delicious Barley Tea
- Wash the barley grains and make sure it is completely dry before roasting. This will ensure you get the best flavour out of the barley.
- Boil the roasted grains for at least 10 minutes to extract the most flavour you can.
- Make sure the grains have completely cooled down after roasting before storing in a container. If there is any heat, it will cause condensation and moisture which will impact the grains.
FAQ
A: Yes, it is made from barley grains which contain gluten so it is not suitable for anyone with a gluten intolerance.
A: No, it’s caffeine free! Plus it contains melatonin, so you can drink it at night for a good sleep.
A: Once it’s been steeped or boiled, it should be consumed within a couple of days. The roasted grains can be stored in an airtight container to last up to a few weeks.
Related Recipes
Mugicha Roasted Barley Tea
Ingredients
Roasting Pearl Barley
- 3 cups pearl barley *1
Brewing Barley Tea
- 4 cups water
- 4 tbsp Roasted Barley
Instructions
Roasting Barley
- Wash the pearl barley to remove any dirt and debris.
- Drain the washing water and spread the barley grain on a mesh tray to sun dry the grain. *2
- Roast the sun dried barley in a frying pan over low to medium heat until the grain browned. *3
- Allow to cool completely then store in an airtight container.
Brewing Roasted Barley Tea
- Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a kettle or pot over high heat.
- Add 4 tbsp of roasted barley to the boiling water and simmer for 10-15 minutes over low heat.
- Turn the heat off and serve through a strainer to serve hot. *4
- Once it's cooled down, you can chill the brewed barley tea in a pitcher in the refrigerator to serve cold.
Notes
Nutrition
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Awesome recipe! Just one question, how dark do the grains need to be when roasting? Mine took a long time and might not be toasted enough… will it affect flavour?
Hi Annika, thank you for making your own barley tea with this recipe. As you can see the colour in the images, whitish barley change into brown coloured barley and you should be able to also smell aroma as well.
Very nice as a hot drink and I must try it cold
Thank you Richard 😀
My wife is from Fukuoka, half japanese, half american her mother did her best to teach her Japanese cooking. This is a really great site. I look forward to utilizing it and having inexpensive mugicha this summer. You make it look so easy. Thank you.
Thank you Britt 😀