Barley tea is a staple in Korea and it’s brewed all year-round, prepared hot and cold. See how to make barley tea properly using roasted barley kernels and tea bags.
What is Barley Tea?
- Barley tea is an infusion of roasted barley kernels in water.
- It’s caffeine free.
- It’s called boricha in Korean and mugicha in Japanese.
- It’s a staple in every Korean household and it’s made hot and cold.
- Barley is a popular and ancient grain used to make tea, soups, bread, and alcoholic beverages.
If you’re interested in caffeine-free drinks, give Roasted Corn Tea, Citron Tea, Rooibos Tea, and Ginger Tea a try.
Whole Roasted Kernels vs Tea Bags
Whole roasted barley kernels are intact. Tea bags contain kernels that have been crushed.
Whole kernels takes longer to brew but it’s my preferred method to make it hot since the taste is so much more well-rounded and smoother than tea made from tea bags.
Barley in tea bags are in small pieces, which means the brewing process is quicker but it lacks the depth of flavor you get from the whole kernel.
Bottom line: For hot tea use whole kernels, and for iced tea use tea bags.
What You’ll Need
TO MAKE HOT BARLEY TEA
TO MAKE COLD BREW BARLEY TEA
How to Make Hot Barley Tea Properly
For complete brewing guide, full ingredients, and instructions, scroll to the bottom.
STEP 1: Combine water and barley kernels in a kettle.
The best way to make hot barley tea is using whole roasted kernels and filtered water.
I usually make 4 cups at a time using a kettle with a mesh strainer.
STEP 2: Bring to a boil, turn off heat, and steep for 5 minutes.
If you want a stronger brew, steep for 15 minutes. Brewing it for longer will result in a darker color and stronger taste.
STEP 3: Strain kernels and pour hot tea into a cup.
RELATED: How to Make Herbal Teas
How to Make Iced Barley Tea Properly
The best way to make iced barley tea is to cold brew it. Cold brewing is a method where you use cold water to slowly steep tea.
Tea Sommelier’s Tip: Cold brewing takes longer than making hot tea and then cooling it down, but it’s my preferred method to making any type of iced tea.
STEP 1: Put barley tea bag and water in a pitcher or glass container.
No need to boil any water when it comes to cold brewing tea. Use cool or room temperature water.
As with any tea you make, use filtered water for the best tasting drink.
STEP 2: Cover pitcher and put in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
STEP 3: Discard tea bag and pour tea into a cup with ice.
Because cold brewed tea is already chilled, you don’t need to add ice if you don’t want to.
RELATED: Chamomile Tea Latte
Notes & Tips
- Use whole kernels to make hot tea. Use barley tea bags to make iced tea.
- Barley tea can be found in most Korean and Japanese supermarkets.
- Unlike other cold brewed teas that take 12 hours to make, iced barley tea only takes 1-2 hours.
Storage Tips
Whole kernels and tea bags should be stored in an airtight container to keep odor and humidity away.
Once the tea is made, it can be kept in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
Questions You May Have
It has a toasted, nutty taste. I hear it’s a bit of an acquired taste if you’ve never had it.
Nope, there’s no caffeine, which is why it’s great to drink all day and night.
Each serving has a whopping 2 calories.
It’s a tisane, or an herbal tea so it’s not a real tea. Real tea has caffeine and comes from the camellia sinensis plant.
Milk or sugar isn’t added to traditional barley tea.
More Caffeine-Free Drinks
Barley Tea
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons roasted barley tea
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine water and barley kernels in a kettle.Filtered water is best for a better tasting tea.
- Bring to a boil, turn off heat, and steep for 5 minutes.For a stronger brew, steep for 10-15 minutes.
- Strain barley kernels and pour hot tea into a cup.
EQUIPMENT
NOTES
Hot Barley Tea Brewing Guide
- TEA: 1.5 teaspoons barley kernels
- WATER: 1 cup (8 fl. oz.)
- WATER TEMPERATURE: 212°F (boiling hot)
- STEEP TIME: 5 -15 minutes
- TEA: 1 barley tea bag
- WATER: 4 cups (32 fl. oz.)
- WATER TEMPERATURE: Cold water
- STEEP TIME: 1-2 hours
I just want to clarify one detail about the cold brew: Tea sommilier’s preferred method is to steep the tea in hot water first, then cool it down (as opposed to directly steeping in cold water)? Thank you! I love this site!
Hi Lady Byron, preferred method to make cold brew is to use cool or room temperature water and cold steep in the refrigerator using a barley tea bag. No need for hot water or cooling down hot tea.
How to make barley tea with barley powder..
I roast my organic barley in the oven for 35 minutes at 350 degrees..
it is a light roast which tastes more like a malted barley.
A simple popcorn maker is the ideal barley roaster. I use the whole grain Here is the method.
How I make my mugachi. The most reasonable barley available to me is pot barley from bulk barn. It is slightly processed to remove most of the hulls, yet retain most of the berry. About 15 grams are used for a cup of finished tea, this is about a heaping tablespoon. I make a liter at a time which is very convenient about five cups.
Method: Toast 3 minutes in a sunbeam popcorn maker. Stir while roasting to make homogeneous. The toasted barley is then put in the blender with one liter of water and beat into a slurry. This slurry is placed in a double boiler for steeping about 1.5 hours. This is just below boiling.The pulp and liquid mix well and make a complete drinkable liquid. I might add in the old days people did not have a blender, so my method hopefully improves on the process. This unique process utilized the whole barley grain.
Thank you for this post. How to roast barley grains? In my country I don’t think I can find Barley tea bags but can find barley kernels. I want to try barley tea.
Hi Maxat, I’ve never had to roast barley so I’m not sure I can provide an answer. I would start with toasting barley kernels on the stovetop, dry, for about 5-10 minutes until they brown.