Tea of the Month for October- Roasted Barley Tea

When I bought the tea of the month for September, prior to my trip to North America, I also had a good look around the first tea shop that I ever went to here in Shanghai. While I was rummaging around the bins in the center of the store, I found what I thought looked a lot like roasted barley to me. After consulting my dictionary and receiving confirmation from the sales clerks (who always find my enthusiasm for tea amusing), I bought a large bag at a bargain basement price- I bought 1 kg for less than a dollar.

This purchase was largely driven by a sense of nostalgia. While I lived in Japan, this was a popular tea found at some of the cheapest eateries. While I have had it warm, it is a popular summer drink and is mostly found cold. It turns out that it is also popular in Korea as well, and that occasionally it is suggested as a good caffeine free beverage in America (news to me, but the research says so). It is called mugicha (麦茶) in Japan, and boricha (보리차) in Korean. While roasted barley tea is generally regarded as a cooling summer beverage in Japan, it is served year-round, hot in winter and cold in summer, in Korea.

This is all fine, but what is it doing in China? It turns out that consuming non-fermented barley-based beverages is an ancient practice spanning across the globe; barley water is a popular traditional soft drink in Britain and a similar drink, aguas frescas is frequently sold by street vendors in Mexico.

Barley tea is credited with increasing blood fluidity, cleansing the blood of impurities, and reducing stress. It's also thought to be a remedy for cold and flu because it breaks up congestion, phlegm and other common symptoms. Barley-based teas are used as treatment for hemorrhoids, inflammatory arthritis and are believed to help reduce toxicity and side-effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Herbalists use barley concoctions to treat gravel stones and flush out kidneys and for centuries Old World doctors have recommended this plain barley water as a first food for babies and for bedridden patients whose stomachs cannot handle solid foods.

To make this tea from scratch, you can buy the barley and then toast it: roast your barley (and this is barley with the husks on it) in a skillet, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until a fragrant aroma is detected. To 1 portion barley, add 10 times the amount of water. Bring to a boil, reduce flame, and simmer 10 minutes. Simmering makes the most robust tasting and dark mugicha. Another source suggests that after you have simmered your water and barely for a few minutes, you should turn the heat off and let the tea cool in the pan to room temperature, then strain and chill in the fridge. The measurement for this alternative suggests 2-3 tablespoons of loose grains per liter (about a quart) of water. It can also be brewed cold- just add cold water to some barley and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours (not sure how many).

So, although not technically a tea (it is not a product of camellia sinensis), I still thought that it would be appropriate for this month's selection (I do get to determine the rules- it is my blog after all!). I have not had a chance to open the bag and brew a batch; I have been a bit busy lately. This means that I also do not have a photograph for this entry, so you will just have to imagine a tall glass, with a light brown liquid in it, sitting on a table, sunlight slanting on the table, and maybe a small sweet on a plate next to it.