Barley, jau in Hindi and yava in Sanskrit, is one of the first cereals people domesticated, about ten thousand years ago in the Fertile Crescent. It reached South Asia early and was a staple of the Vedic period. Today India grows it mainly in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, for food, feed and malt. It tolerates drought, salty soil and cold better than wheat.
- Botanical name
- Hordeum vulgare L.
- Family
- Poaceae
- Tamil
- Varkothumai
- Hindi
- Jau
- Sanskrit
- Yava
- Parts used
- Grain after cooking or malting
- Habit
- Barley; not wheat and not a children’s raw binge of dry grain
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Barley
It is an annual grass, usually knee- to waist-high, with broad leaves that have large, clasping ear-like flaps where the blade meets the stem.
The ear is a dense spike with three spikelets at each joint, each spikelet holding one grain.
Long, stiff awns make the head look bearded.
Six-row barley sets grain in all three spikelets; two-row barley, preferred for malt, sets grain only in the middle one.
In most types the husk stays stuck to the grain; hull-less or naked barley threshes clean.
Traditional use of Barley
Kitchen
Roasted barley flour is mixed with water, salt and spices as sattu in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and barley water is a summer drink.
North Indian food practice
Kitchen
In Ladakh and Tibet roasted naked barley flour, tsampa, is mixed with butter tea.
Himalayan food practice
Ritual
Barley grains are offered in Hindu rituals and sown as jau shoots during Navratri in North India.
Hindu ritual practice
Modern notes on Barley
Barley is rich in beta-glucan fibre, and in 2006 the United States FDA allowed a heart-health claim for it, as for oats.
Malted barley is the base of beer, whisky and malted milk drinks.
Barley contains hordein, a gluten protein, so it is not safe for people with coeliac disease.
Its genome and wild relatives are used to breed drought and salt tolerance.
Barley safety
People with coeliac disease must avoid barley. Pearled barley loses much of its fibre, so whole barley keeps more benefit.
Ecology and sourcing
Its wild ancestor still grows in West Asia.
It is self-pollinating and ripens faster than wheat.
It grows higher in the mountains than almost any other cereal, up to about 4,500 metres in the Himalaya.
Related plants
Also in Poaceae
Questions about Barley
Is barley gluten-free?
No. It contains hordein, a gluten protein.
What is jau ka sattu?
Roasted barley flour, eaten mixed with water or buttermilk.
Is barley the same as wheat?
No. Barley has bearded spikes with three spikelets per joint.
What is malt?
Barley sprouted, then dried, for brewing and drinks.
Where is barley grown in India?
Mainly Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Sources
- Hordeum vulgare L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q11577 (Hordeum vulgare)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.