Homemade roasted barley tea

In Malaysia, barley is a common staple drink.   However, It is not known as barley tea but as a refreshing drink.  I was told from young that it is a healthy drink but honestly, I did not like the taste.  For decades, this refreshing drink is prepared the same way at home or in the restaurants – white pearl barley is rinsed, boiled with a few Pandan/Screwpine leaves to enhance the aroma and when it is almost done, sugar will be added to taste.  Yes, I know.  It sounds boring.

Recently, I went to a Korean Restaurant for tea with my mom and we ordered Boricha (Korean barley tea).  Somehow, the aroma of Korean barley tea hits my senses and I instantly fell in love with the aromatic and nutty smell of this tea.  It has such an amazing toasty and slightly bitter taste.  It’s a great substitute for coffee but I’m not thinking of giving up coffee as it will always be my first love.

I have since included this intoxicating drink in my daily routine mainly because of its health benefits. I really do not know where to buy Korean barley tea, so I decided to try roasting the pearl barley and prepare this tea in the comfort of my own kitchen.

I will now share and show you how to make this delightful beau-tea recipe.

How to toast your own barley

I like to roast a bit more and store them in a jar.  The pearl barley I bought comes in 300g/packet.

1. 600 g of pearl barley washed and rinsed well

2.You will need a pan or a pot.  But I like to use the wok.  Heat up the wok on medium heat and pour in the pearl barley.

3. With a wooden spoon, stir the barley every 30 seconds to a minute.  It’s very much like toasting nuts and it gets burned easily.  It will take about 20 minutes or longer until the barley turned dark brown and it should smell a bit burnt.

4.Pour the roasted barley onto a tray to cool before storing it in a jar.

How to make roasted barley tea

You can boil the roasted barley in water as it is but I like to blend the roasted barley first before boiling it for more flavor.

5 tbsp of roasted barley (blended but not too powdery)

5 cups of water (you can add more water if you find it too strong)

[Note: I prefer to bring the water to a boil first before I pour in the barley]

1. In a small pot, boil the barley and water and simmer it for about 15 – 20 minutes.

2. When it’s done boiling use the strainer to sieve the grains.

3. Serve hot or let it cool and chill it in the refrigerator.

[Note: If you have a filter bag for tea, you can skip step no. 2]