7/1/2026 at 1:16:55 AM
I really enjoyed that article. Documenting the entire process helps me understand what the final product should taste like. I love the smell of barley and had never considered roasting any. The fact that it apparently smells a bit like popcorn is pretty exciting.I am growing buckwheat right now and have a small test plot of rice. I am hoping to be able to get meaningful yields after this first-year proof of concept dry run. I have already harvested enough buckwheat for a nice, steaming bowl of buckwheat. My rice is producing kernels now though I only have a few dozen plants. I am pretty excited about this.
I love how toasting something transforms the flavor profile and use that to enhance flavors of soups and other dishes. I toast pecans, walnuts, almonds, and some garden spices lightly and add them to spice mixes after grinding.
Thanks for this article.
There is also another article linked at the bottom about someone who drank a bottle of barley tea that had been left outside for months.
https://soranews24.com/2023/05/02/we-try-a-half-drunk-bottle...
I love stuff like that! Thanks!
by doodlebugging
7/1/2026 at 2:08:55 AM
Roasted barley is also appreciated in Italy prepared like an espresso (Caffe d'Orzo), and in Peru as a kind of cappuccino with brown sugar (Pinol).by manoDev
7/1/2026 at 3:04:46 AM
Is it well regarded in either place?I've somehow not come across these preparations. I like barley tea and have made it via other coffee methods. (cold brew/french press.) So I guess espresso makes some sense.
(Also thank you doodlebugging for the other link. I love sora news. I don't know if it's the cadence or playful sincerity or what.)
by big_toast
7/1/2026 at 9:17:54 AM
Caffè d'Orzo can't be made in an espresso machine like normal coffee. If you use ground kernels, depending on grind size, It will either clog the portafilter or be too weak.Instead, most barley coffee is sold in instant coffee form. Most coffee bars will do it with instant barley coffee pods and a pod adapter portafilter.
You can find actual roasted barley coffee (kernels) in supermarkets though, and make it in a moka pot or a french press
by sborra
7/1/2026 at 6:47:11 AM
I believe barley coffee in Italy became popular during WW2 with coffee shortages, it retains a tinge of 'poor man's drink', but there are still fans of it and you can find it in any supermarket. I enjoyed it when I was younger, it has a nice full-bodied taste, though it lacks the kick of caffeine.by sph
7/1/2026 at 10:05:06 AM
> though it lacks the kick of caffeine.Us weaklings can’t handle espresso after lunch, or we don’t sleep.
I’m tempted to try roasting some barley myself.
by lostlogin
7/1/2026 at 10:31:25 AM
This weakness is most likely due to slow caffeine metabolism.That was the only practical thing I learned from my 23andme test results and it explained crappy night sleep quality when drinking coffee after 3 pm. Switching to decaf beans helped.
by eps
7/1/2026 at 4:02:00 AM
YW. I got stuck for a bit there reading some of those articles. Very fun. Good writing about things that I need to know more about. Like you I love the sense that they are trying to have fun with their writing.by doodlebugging
7/1/2026 at 4:26:09 PM
I appreciated it when I was in Italy and the group would order a round of espresso after dinner. It's 9 PM! I have enough trouble sleeping as is!by Rendello
7/1/2026 at 6:33:49 AM
Similar in Portugal, Nestle makes one called Pensal (cevada) and it’s marketed as a coffee substitute.by sentientslug
7/1/2026 at 10:06:15 AM
Do you grind it like you would coffee?by lostlogin
7/1/2026 at 10:23:32 AM
Yes, It is also sold in every supermarket in soluble form, there's a Nestle owned brand (orzoro) and a few smaller ones (orzobimbo) which are quite popular.I should avoid caffeine for health reasons and I usually drink milk with barley, it's quite a decent replacement for caffelatte
by riffraff
7/1/2026 at 8:08:14 AM
> Roasted barley is also appreciated in Italy prepared like an espresso (Caffe d'Orzo)During fascism Italy was under embargo and couldn't import coffee.
So barley became a surrogate.
But I would not call it "appreciated", the only people drinking it do it to avoid caffeine in the afternoon, and generally they are very old.
by epolanski
7/1/2026 at 9:51:12 AM
> what the final product should taste likeTo each their own, obviously, but I find it utterly unpalatable.
Especially compared to something like genmaicha, which is absolutely delightful.
by huhtenberg