Tibetan Black Barley, Hulless

From Hummingbird Wholesale

Our Organic Tibetan Black Barley is provided by Oregon Grain & Bean, with this crop grown on an organic farm in Idaho. Tibetan Black Barley, with its bran intact, retains its firm, plump texture during cooking, making it perfect in soups, stuffings and stews. It’s also great when mixed with other grains due to its somewhat chewy, contrasting texture.

James, owner of Oregon Grain & Bean first spotted Black Barley at a barley field day event at OSU in Corvallis, and paid for 5 grams of seed and gave it to his wife as an anniversary gift (a tongue-in-cheek joke). That was the beginning of this whole crop. 

Black barley gets its deep color from its high antioxidant level of anthocyanin. While also found in red cabbage and beets, this antioxidant is said to be more stable in grains than in vegetables. Black barley is also high in beta glucans-a soluble fiber. This helps to lower cholesterol and reduce glycemic levels, thus lowering the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Tibetan Black Barley is the featured ingredient in Tsampa—a staple food of Tibetans and sometimes called the National food of Tibet. It is roasted barley ground into fine and coarse flour. Tsampa is a very simple and easy to prepare food widely known as convenience food used at home and also by travelers in Tibet. As a breakfast or as energy bars Tsampa has had a long history. The Dalai Lama says he eats it for breakfast (watch the fun video).

To cook this whole grain, combine one part Black Barley with three parts water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover with a lid until barley is soft—check around 60 minutes. Drain any excess water (if necessary) then fluff with a fork to separate the grains. Enjoy our Organic Tibetan Black Barley as a side dish, in a summer salad or soup.