Barley Tea or Mugicha is a healty alternative to diet soda. Barley tea is not actually tea but a tisane of roasted barley. The English word "tisane" originates from the Greek word πτισάνη (ptisanē), a drink made from pearl barley.
Barley Tea's mild flavor is easy to drink and in Asian cultures parents give Barley Tea to very young children because there is no caffeine in it and it promotes hydration of the body, which is always a good thing.
Below is the Wiki Definition -
Roasted barley tea is a tisane made from roasted barley, which is popular in Japanese and Korean cuisine. It is also used as a caffeine-free coffee substitute in American cuisine.
It is called mugicha (麦茶?) in Japanese, 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.
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.
Originally, roasted barley seeds were stewed in hot water (this is still the method generally used in Korea), but tea bags containing ground barley became more popular during the early 1980s; this is now the norm in Japan. It can be brewed in hot or cold water. Mugicha is usually served cold, but it can also be served hot. The hot version is more popular in the winter. It can be found from many different distributors in vending machines all over Japan.
In Korea, roasted unhulled barley is used to prepare a tea called boricha. More often, it is combined with oksusu cha (roasted corn infusion), as the corn's sweetness offsets the slightly bitter flavor of the barley. A similar drink, made from roasted brown rice, is called hyeonmi cha.
Roasted barley tea, sold in ground form and sometimes combined with chicory or other ingredients, is also sold as a coffee substitute.[1]
[edit] Health benefits
According to Japanese food conglomerate Kagome, a recent study stated that drinking mugicha increased blood fluidity. This action is caused by an alkylpyrazine, which is a primary flavor in the drink. Japanese believe it cleanses the blood of impurities.[citation needed]
Mugicha has been linked with reduced stress in a study by the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Products in China.
Barley Tea or Mugi Cha can be found in the Asian Food section of your local supermarket.
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