Barley (hordeum vulgare)
Probably originating in Asia man has been eating barley since early times. Flat unleavened breads would be made from barley and the Greek's made a kind of barley porridge, which they called Alphita. On its own barley produces close textured but sweet tasting bread.
Barley grows well in the British climate and 2000 years ago was the main cereal used for milling or boiling and eating as a grain or porridge. When barley is harvested it is encased in an inedible outer skin which must be removed to release the grain in a process often known as pearling.
Considerable quantities of barley are still produced by farmers today who sell their crop to the brewing industry or as animal feed.
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