21 August: Barley

On this date, the French Revolutionary Calendar celebrated Six-row Barley. Here are some things you might not know about barley:

1. The scientific name for barley is Hordeum vulgare. The word Hordeum comes from a Latin word meaning “bristly” referring to the texture of the ears. It’s a member of the grass family, which grows in temperate climates.
2. Humans have been cultivating it for over 8,000 years. According to Pliny, it was the special food of Greek gladiators, who were also known as “barley eaters”.
3. Barley has 14 chromosomes. The genome was sequenced in 2012.
4. Russia is the biggest producer of barley, producing 14% of the world’s supply. Australia, Germany, France and Ukraine are also major barley producers.
5. A 100-g serving, cooked barley contains 123 Calories and is a good source of essential nutrients, including vitamin B, Iron and manganese. It has also been found to lower cholesterol and help regulate blood sugar.
6. Gruel is Porridge made from barley rather than oats.
7. As well as being a key ingredient in Beer, Whiskey and barley wine, it can be used to make barley water and barley tea. In Italy barley is sometimes used as a substitute for Coffee.
8. Other uses for barley include animal feed, including as an ingredient for food for fish such as Trout and Salmon. The straw can be used to prevent the growth of algae on ponds if floated on the surface in a mesh bag.
9. The character John Barleycorn in the folk song is a personification of barley. The things which happen to him in the song represent the stages of barley cultivation.
10. Barley was used as a measurement in olden times. An inch was three barleycorns up until the 19^th century when a more standardised inch became the norm.

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