How To Prepare Korean Barley Tea

Pinterent September 19, 2023 Comment

After coming back from the World Tea Expo, I spent the lot of last week moving from my small apartment into a larger house. I don’t know what my husband and I were thinking when we planned for a move smack in the middle of hot, sunny June. The heat was relentless and the work was endless, not to mention that we couldn’t get the internet hooked up until just yesterday. Amidst mountains of cardboard boxes lying around, I ripped open the box labeled “kitchen” and grabbed the first stockpot I could find. Throwing some barley and water into the pot, 20 minutes later I had boiled up some wholesome

In Japanese. You can’t go to any Korean restaurant without being served plentiful cupfuls of this golden liquid. After the Tea Expo festivities were over, I had purchased some large bags of roasted barley and roasted corn in the South Bay area of LA, a place brimming with Korean eateries and food markets. Searching for some new and interesting Korean teas actually led me right back to the classics: barley and corn tea. Previously, I had only made pre-portioned tea bag barley tea , but after seeing rustic sacs of beautiful grains at S-mart in Torrance , I decided to give the homemade version a try.

Is nothing more than toasted barley boiled in water. This tisane is caffeine-free but takes on the a golden tea-like shade of honey after the barley has been boiled. It’s taste is nutty and slightly sweet with warm, toasty undertones. In the best way possible, it’s kind of like drinking beer without the alcohol and carbonation.

How To Prepare Loose Tea: Corn And Barley Tea (oksusu Cha & Boricha)

Although I purchased barley that was already roasted , you can buy unroasted barley and toast it yourself at home, to a darkness of your liking. Simply place a large, heavy skillet (cast iron will work well) on medium high heat on the stove, then throw the washed grains into the skillet. Use a wooden spatula to move the barley grains around the hot pan until you get an even, medium shade of brown to all the grains (they should look something like the photo below).

Another type of Korean tea that tastes very similar to barley tea is roasted corn tea . Again, the kernels are purchased already toasted. In a Korean market, corn tea , called

, is found in the tea aisle, right by the sacks of roasted barley. The taste of roasted corn tea is slightly sweeter than that of the barley, so I like to add some of it to my barley tea boil to round out the taste of the steep. The corn gives the barley tea a deeper, more robust flavor, enhancing its distinctive taste rather than distracting from it. If you love Japanese Genmaicha , or brown rice tea, you will love the taste of roasted corn tea too.

Korean Barley Tea (bori Cha) Recipe

In my opinion, barley and corn teas are best enjoyed chilled, without any additions (not even ice!). In the winter time, many enjoy this brew hot with a bit of honey or lemon added. As summer time approaches, Korean Barley Tea is the perfect thirst quencher, and can be served any time of day as the brew is entirely caffeine-free.

This is an ideal beverage to serve with Korean food (bulgogi, kalbi, japchae ) or spicier dishes–consider it like an Asian House Iced Tea. As the days get longer and weather gets hotter, make plenty of crisp, refreshing Korean Barley Tea to store in the fridge. Sipped by the pool, guzzled after hitting the gym, or gulped to calm your taste buds after eating some fiery hot slices of kimchi, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this wholesome and simple staple of Korean cuisine.

1.) In a strainer, rinse the barley (and corn, if using) under cold water. Place the grains in a large pot and add 2 quarts of spring water.

Barley Tea Health Benefits And Recipes

3.) Simmer the tea on medium heat for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes are up, you will notice that the grains have settled to the bottom of the pot.

5.) Let the tea come to room temperature, then cover and place in fridge to cool completely. I like to serve the tea chilled, without ice, but it can also be served warm or hot…easy right? Enjoy!Discover Korean barley tea and learn how to make it at home! It’s super easy, delicious and it comes with many health benefits!

Do you like tea? I do! I don’t drink English style tea much, but I’ve been drinking Korean barley tea and Korean corn tea every day in the last few weeks. (I read that it’s good for my diet! Lol)

Live In Korea And In A Lot Of Restaurants They Serve Barley Tea With Your Meal!

My mom would put some large quantity of water in a kettle then add some loose grains of tea. Boil it until pipping hot then cool it down by immersing the kettle in cold water. When the tea cooled down, we drank it. That is how we drank our “water” for like 20 years growing up in Korea.

The tea we often drank was made with roasted cassia tora seed (gyeolmyeongja, 결명자). It has a somewhat coffee like aroma, color and bitter sweet taste. I didn’t like the taste as much as some other Korean tea even though my mom kept telling me that this tea is good for improving eye sight! (Maybe that’s why my sight is still good after these many years!)

Though, when I visited my friend’s place, their water tasted different to ours. It’s usually made with either roasted corn or roasted barley.

Amazon.com: Dongsuh Roasted Barley Tea, 10g X 30 Bags

Unlike cassia tora seed tea, they had a lot milder, nutty and maybe even slightly sweet taste. I absolutely loved these! So you might be wondering what’s Korean barley tea?

Korean barley tea (boricha, 보리차) is made with roasted barley and water. (I know! So simple!) In Japan, it’s known as mugicha.

The picture below is pearled barley, which I used to make roasted barley because I couldn’t get the pre-roasted barley grains. Roasting barley is quite easy and straightforward. I will show you how soon.

Thirsty For Tea Korean Barley Tea

Though, what I’m about to spill out below is very high level and is for information only. Consult with your medical / health professional if you want to use it for medicinal purposes.

Many Korean mom’s give barley tea to their babies, and it’s usually when the baby is around 6 months old. There are even barley tea’s specifically made for babies in Korea. These products use non bleached tea bags.

I don’t think there’s any specific reasons for giving the barley tea to babies. I certainly didn’t do that with my daughter. She’s now nearly 4 years old and she thinks the taste of barley tea is yucky. (According to my hubby, it has an acquired taste.) But I tell you, it’s nothing like Kimchi! Lol. I hope it grows on her eventually!

The Benefits And Side Effects Of Drinking Barley Tea

Anyway, I hope you enjoy making some Korean barley tea at home. It’s a perfect cooler drink in summer! (It’s also great in winter. Just serve it warm or hot.) 🙂

* If you’re using abarley tea bag, follow the package instruction. It’s typically 2 L boiled water per one tea bag (10 g / 0.4 ounces)

1. Preheat a wok or skillet over low heat. Add the barley and stir around until it browns. (It takes about 10 to 12 mins.) FYI, I didn’t use any cooking oil.

Barley Tea: A Popular Beverage That Will Keep You Healthy

1. Boil the water in a kettle (pot) until rapidly boiling. Remove the kettle from the heat then add the roasted barley tea bag. Brew it for about 10 mins. Don’t forget to squeeze out the tea bag using tongs, to get the last drop of essence. Discard the tea bag. You will noticed that the color of the water has changed to a brownish color. Cool it down. (You can submerge the kettle in cold water to make this process quicker.) Transfer the tea into a jug then refrigerate until needed.

1. Boil the water in a kettle or pot until rapidly boiling. Add the roasted barley (in a tea strainer containerif you have one)then boil further 5 mins on low to medium low heat. Remove the kettle from the heat and remove the roasted barley from the kettle. Cool the tea down then transfer it into a jug. Refrigerate until needed. (If you didn’t use the tea strainer container, you will have to use the strainer to sieve the grains).

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Woong Jin Barley Tea 500ml

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Korean Roasted Barley Tea 150g Product Of Korea

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