Cultivated barley is descended from wild barley, which grows in the Middle East. Both species are diploid (2n = 14 chromosomes), their cultivation dates back to ancient Egypt, this being an important product for the development of civilization, barley is an annual monocotyledonous plant belonging to the Poaceae family. in turn, this is an important cereal for both humans and animals and is the fifth most cultivated cereal in the world.
Barley is one of the cereals known as winter cereal, since it is harvested in summer (June or July, in the northern hemisphere) and generally its distribution is very similar to that of wheat.
This is divided into two types of barley:
- The barley of two races or tremesina.
- Barley of six races or Castilian.
It is characterized by being a grain with a tapered shape, being thicker in the center and tapering towards the ends. The husk is what protects the grain from predators and is useful in the malting and brewing processes, it represents 13% weight of the grain, varying depending on the type, variety of grain and plantation latitude.
The root of the plant is fasciculate and in them you can see primary roots and secondary roots:
- The primary roots are formed through the growth of the radicle and disappear when the plant is adult.
- The secondary roots develop after the plant becomes adult, they are formed from the base of the stem, with various branches.
This is still used to make food for human consumption, through a roasting and grinding process, obtaining the machica as a final result. However, it is used much more for malting and obtaining musts for brewing and distilling to obtain Scotch whiskey and Dutch gin.
This seed is also used for medicine, besides being nutritious, it has many properties, among the main ones we find: antispasmodic, digestive, somewhat astringent, antipyretic. It is used for the preparation of treatment for irritating coughs, deficiency in the secretions of digestive juices, feverish diseases, heavy digestions, digestive irritations. It is also used to combat constipation due to its high fiber content, especially if the whole grain is used.
