Description
The barley coffee is a typical drink of Italy and we can define it as a substitute for classic espresso, which is made using the barley infusion previously toasted and finely ground, in plenty of boiling water and therefore does not contain caffeine. This very popular drink, it can be prepared it in the traditional way, using the same machines for the espresso or coffee (mocha), or diluting the extract directly into granules or powder such as barley soluble, for example, directly in the very hot water.
It is possible to find on the market of small packages single portions to be used in mocha, with the inside of the filter made of fibrous material, or the specially built machines to make your home barley coffee. A barley coffee made with the same machine of the classic espresso, is aesthetically not very attractive in appearance, while realizing it with his special machine both automatic for barley than classic coffee machine, you will also have the inviting foam in surface that is found in the espresso.
In Italy, they are many the shops where you can easily purchase the barley, both at the bar or in a restaurant, for example, in coffee shops, in supermarkets or if you want to consume in your moments of relaxation and away from home, there are now automatic dispensers for hot drinks, which carry a medium quality product.
The barley was already known long before the introduction of decaffeinated coffee, especially among people who can not, for physical reasons, consume caffeine, or for those who do not like the taste of the classic coffee. Even children are especially fond of this drink combined with fresh milk, and its consumption is also directed to pregnant women or during breastfeeding, for those who follow special medical therapies for heart disease or simply for those suffering from disorders related to anxiety.
Nutritional values
The barley coffee, being a soft drink, does not provide a high calorie level to the consumption, in fact, for the preparation of a large cup about 250 ml of boiling water, just add only 15 grams of this soluble powder, and in this manner, you will get a product with a caloric quantity equal to 20 Kcal per 100 ml of product. It is not easy to assess what the degree of dissolution of the molecules present in the dust of barley when combined water, so we’ll just describe the nutritional point of view only the soluble product. The majority of the calories in this drink derived from complex carbohydrates, in contrast to the proteins and fats that are virtually non-existent. The fibers and cholesterol are also absent, but as regards the presents of vitamins, had to know, that the barley soluble possesses an abundant concentration of phosphorus and also potassium.
This beverage, considered harmless because caffeine-free is very greatly appreciated in the world, but we must not forget, that every food which is make with roasting, as in this case, produces a substance called “acrylamide” in very considerable quantity, toxic for the body, then we recommend consumption not more than twice a day, with a quantity of approximately 10 grams. A cup a day with the dose recommended above, does not bear any physical damage to the body.
The consumption of barley coffee is open to all, except those who suffer from celiac disease, because barley is a cereal containing gluten, and therefore the daily or occasional use is not recommended in people with this important issue. As regards dietary food schemes for both the control of body weight, both for problems related to obesity, the barley coffee consumption, does not create complications, and even to those who suffer from diseases linked to the wrong metabolic functioning, with intolerances lactose and also for the diets of vegetarianism, veganism or religious.
Diffusion
The barley coffee, and that extracted from chicory, became during the period of World War II, the only and unique most popular drinks in Europe. These foods were used in the absence of coffee, which at the time, in addition to having a very high cost, it was practically difficult to obtain. In Spain, the barley coffee consumed in the long post-war period, was seen as the drink of the poor, or a cheap substitute for coffee, taking in this way a very negative image, still present among the population. The dozens of manufacturers of barley that were present until 1950 in the Spanish territory, have closed their activities, and to date we can count only two.
In Italy, however, the barley coffee is a very popular drink and now there are dozens of companies that deal with the creation of this product. This is because it has been rediscovered as a healthy drink instead of espresso, which is not suggested in many case, due to the new disease of the modern era, especially cardiac problems due to the sedentary life of our days. The barley coffee is knowing a new popularity, thanks to its healthy value, and many Italians are now consuming.
