Barley Malt

Barley is one of the seven grains high in natural sugars and easy to digest. It has been used medicinally for many centuries in the form of barley water for digestive problems.

Majority malt is produced from barley. In India six-row barley is commonly available and used to produce malt. Barley is available in many forms. In the United States, the majority is ground or rolled for use in mixed feeds for animals. Pearled barley is the most commonly available barley. Often the pearled barley found in natural food stores has undergone fewer pearlings than that found in a supermarket, as indicated by its larger size.

Barley malt technically refers to malt sugar, which is a buff-colored crystalline powder. It is made by evaporating the water out of barley malt syrup. Malt sugar is becoming increasingly available in health food stores as a superior sugar replacement that is less sweet but adds a better texture and pleasing nutty flavor to baked goods.

Liquid barley malt is available in barley extract and barley-corn malt. The extract is 100 percent barley malt and usually tastes as strong as blackstrap molasses. Barley malt is mostly carbohydrate although it contains small amounts of vitamins and minerals. It is the least expensive of the quality natural sweeteners.

The basis of Scotch whisky is the heather-flavored ales made from barley malt that the Picts and their prehistoric ancestors brewed. Archeologists have found evidence of such brewing dating back to at least 2000 B.C. This ale (which is still produced today by at least one Scottish microbrewer) was low in alcohol and not very stable.

Source:- http://www.barmalt.com