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Barley

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

Botanical illustration of barley (Hordeum vulgare), a type of grain plant.

What is Barley?

Barley is a special kind of grain that grows in cool places around the world. It belongs to the grass family and is one of the oldest grains people have ever grown. Farmers first started to grow barley in a place called the Fertile Crescent a very long time ago, around 9000 BC.

Where Does Barley Grow?

Barley likes cooler temperatures and can grow in soil that does not drain water very well. It can even grow in soil that has a little salt in it! Barley is grown in many countries, such as Russia, Australia, Germany, and France.

Uses of Barley

Most of the barley grown around the world is used as food for animals. But people also use barley to make tasty drinks like beer and whisky. Barley can also be used to make food for us to eat, like bread and soup. In some places, people even make a special tea from roasted barley.

Barley has been a important part of stories and traditions for many years. In old English tales, a character named John Barleycorn stands for barley and the drinks made from it. This is why you can find old pubs named after barley!

Images

A farming machine called a Claas Dominator 85 harvesting barley in a field in Germany.
The Barley Barn, a historic barn located in Cressing, Essex, England.
Map showing how barley spread across Europe and the Near East from 9000 to 2000 BCE.
A close-up of a barley plant's inflorescence showing three spikelets and seed-bearing florets.
Barley ears showing two-row and six-row varieties, an important grain crop.
Tramlines in a field of winter barley, used for allowing tractors to pass without damaging crops.
A small airplane sprays crops with rust-preventing liquid over a barley field in New Zealand.
A historical black-and-white photograph showing farmers working during the barley harvest in the United Kingdom.
A close-up photograph of hulless barley grains, a type of cereal crop commonly used in cooking and nutrition.
Barley grains drying on a traditional rack in a village in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, India.

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Barley, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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