Barley tea
| Barley tea | |
|---|---|
| Type | Herbal tea |
| Other names |
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| Origin | East Asia |
| Quick description | Tea made from roasted barley |
| Temperature | 100 degC (212 degF) |
| Time | 5-10 minutes |
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| Barley tea | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | Da Mai Cha | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | Da Mai Cha | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | barley tea | ||||||||||||||
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| Korean name | |||||||||||||||
| Hangul | borica | ||||||||||||||
| Hanja | boriCha | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | barley tea | ||||||||||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||||||||||
| Kanji | Mai Cha | ||||||||||||||
| Kana | mugichiya | ||||||||||||||
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Barley tea is a roasted-grain-based infusion made from barley. It is a staple across many East Asian countries such as China, Japan, and Korea. It has a toasty, bitter flavor.[1]
In Korea, the tea is consumed either hot or cold, often taking the place of drinking water in many homes and restaurants.[2][3] In Japan, it is usually served cold and is a popular summertime refreshment.[4] The tea is also widely available in tea bags or bottled in Korea and Japan.[3][4]
Etymology
[edit]In China, barley tea is called damai-cha (Da Mai Cha ; Da Mai Cha ) or mai-cha (Mai Cha ; Mai Cha ), in which damai (Da Mai ; Da Mai ) or mai (Mai ; Mai ) means "barley" and cha (Cha ) means "tea".
In Japan, barley tea is called mugi-cha (Mai Cha ), which shares the same Chinese characters as Chinese mai-cha (Mai Cha ; Mai Cha ), or mugi-yu (Mai Tang ; mugiyu), in which yu (Tang ; yu) also means "hot water".
In Korea, barley tea is called bori-cha (borica), in which the native Korean bori (bori) means "barley" and Sino-Korean cha (Korean: ca; Hanja: Cha ) shares the same Chinese character meaning "tea".
In Taiwanese Hokkien, barley tea is called beh-a-te (Mai Zi Cha ), in which beh-a (Mai Zi ) means "barley" and te (Cha ) means "tea".
History
[edit]The Japanese aristocracy has consumed the tea since the Heian Period.[5][6] Samurai began to consume it in Sengoku period.[7][6] During the Edo period, street stalls specializing in barley tea became popular among the common people.[8][9][6]
Availability
[edit]
The tea can be prepared by boiling roasted unhulled barley kernels in water or brewing roasted and ground barley in hot water. In Japan, tea bags containing ground barley became more popular than the traditional barley kernels during the early 1980s and remain the norm today. The tea is also available prepackaged in PET bottles.
Bottled tea
[edit]Bottled barley tea is sold at supermarkets, convenience stores, and in vending machines in Japan and Korea. Sold mostly in PET bottles, cold barley tea is a very popular summertime drink in Japan.[4] In Korea, hot barley tea in heat-resistant PET bottles is also found in vending machines and in heated cabinets in convenience stores.[10] In Taiwan, while AGV [zh] barley tea is a popular bottled barley tea, particularly at restaurants in Taiwan, bottled barley tea had not been widely accepted in customer market until the 2020s.[11][12][13]
Blended barley and similar teas
[edit]In Korea, roasted barley is also often combined with roasted maize, as the latter's sweetness offsets the slightly bitter flavor of the barley. The tea made from roasted maize is called oksusu-cha (corn tea), and the tea made from roasted maize and roasted barley is called oksusu-bori-cha (corn barley tea). Several similar drinks made from roasted grains include hyeonmi-cha (brown rice tea), gyeolmyeongja-cha (sicklepod seed tea), and memil-cha (buckwheat tea).
Roasted barley tea, sold in ground form and sometimes combined with chicory or other ingredients, is also sold as a coffee substitute.[14]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Allan, M. Carrie; Allan, M. Carrie (22 May 2016). "What's better than a tall glass of iced tea? One with booze stirred in". The Washington Post. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ De Mente, Boye Lafayette (2012). The Korean mind : understanding contemporary Korean culture. Tokyo: Tuttle Pub. p. 420. ISBN 978-0-8048-4271-6. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
- ^ a b Won, Ho-jung (22 April 2016). "[Weekender] Healthful Korean tea to fit every need". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ a b c Beseel, Casey (16 July 2015). "Japan's barley soda is so weird in so many ways, yet so right in one [(Taste test)] ". RocketNews24. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ Yuan Shun , He Miao Lei Ju Chao , Cheng Ping (931AD - 938AD)
- ^ a b c http://www.mugicya.or.jp/history/ Quan Guo Mai Cha Gong Ye Gong Tong Zu He , Mai Cha noLi Shi
- ^ Bei Ye Da Cha Tang noJi , 16 century
- ^ Ren Jian Bi Da , Ben Zhao Shi Jian , 1967
- ^ Da Mo Wu Huo Dong Zi Da Mo Wu Wu Yi , Yan Shi Shi Zhong , Di Wu Kuan Tian Jian Wen Ji , 1857 - 1863
- ^ i, juhyeon (28 November 2016). "ungjinsigpum, 'haneulbori' onjang jepum culsi...dongjeolgi poteupolrio ganghwa" [Woongjin Food launches hot 'Haneul Bori', augmenting winter portfolio]. The Asia Economy Daily (in Korean). Retrieved 3 February 2017.
- ^ Qiu Jian Qi (2022-12-14). "Yong Zui Qiang Liang Zhi Yin Liao Chan Pin ,Ai Zhi Wei Kan Ying Yun Yu Lai Yu Hao ". MoneyDJLi Cai Wang . Retrieved 2025-07-15.
- ^ Worldpanel (2025-04-11). Lin Yu Ting (ed.). "[Wu Tang Cha ] Ji Ru Ji Yin Cha Shi Chang De Zhu Liu Xuan Ze !Bu Han Ka Pei Yin He Dan Zhu De Mai Cha Kuo Da Ji Yin Xiao Fei Ke Qun ". Shi Li foodNEXT (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2025-07-15.
- ^ Tai Wan Qu Yin Liao Gong Ye Tong Ye Gong Hui . "Tai Wan Yin Liao Xin Pin Fa Zhan Dong Xiang - Tai Wan Qu Yin Liao Gong Ye Tong Ye Gong Hui ". www.bia.org.tw (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2025-07-15.
- ^ Maier, H. G. (1987). "Coffee Substitutes Made from Cereals". In Clarke, R.J.; Macrae, R. (eds.). Coffee: Related Beverages. Springer. pp. 5-8. ISBN 978-1-85166-103-9.
