So next, I went for pearl barley, mainly because I found that it's beneficial for my spleen deficiency. I've had it before as it's commonly used in Asian soups and desserts, but I was planning to use it somewhat differently. It definitely takes a lot longer to cook, but thanks to my "special" rice cooker ("special" because it cooks until all the water has disappeared rather than stopping after a certain time, albeit a bit too far--i.e. burnt dry), I just pour about 4-5 times the amount of water, cook it further with additional water if needed, and leave it to soak with a little bit more water. The final product is a soft, almost rice-like texture but with a little more chew and nutty flavour. I quite like it!
And now, I've just mixed the barley with the Korean wild grains mixture (barley, millet, sweet brown rice, brown rice, job's tear, red bean, black bean, peeled mung bean, black sweet rice, corn, green pea) that I brought back from the States and have been enjoying the even chewier texture and nuttier flavour. Yum! 
Nutrition: 100g serving size
| |
Calories (kcal) |
Fat (g) |
Carbs (g) |
Protein (g) |
Fiber (g) |
| Barley | 123 |
0.4 |
28.2 |
2.3 |
3.8 |
| Bulgur | 83 |
0.2 |
18.6 |
3.1 |
4.5 |
| Brown rice |
112 |
0.8 |
23.5 |
2.3 |
1.8 |
| White rice |
130 |
0.3 |
28.5 |
2.7 |
0.4 |
| Mixed Grains |
269 |
2.5 | 53.75 | 7.5 |
7.5 |
