(Hordeum vulgare)
When we think of barley, it usually is for good Canadian beer. And while it is still predominantly used for malting and as livestock feed, barley is finding it onto more and more tables as a substitute for rice (we don’t grow it) and also because it’s just so good for us. Try it in risottos or this great dish, Barley with Caramelized Vegetables. It’s a serious “nutritional powerhouse,” high in vitamins E and B-complex, phenolic antioxidants and fibre, including a special soluble fibre called beta-glucan which lowers blood cholesterol, a claim approved by Health Canada.
Roseland was bred by Dr. Mario Therrien and Dr. Ana Badea at the Brandon Research Centre in Brandon, Manitoba together with Dr. Odean Lukow in Winnipeg, and is a hulless barley and itsurprisingly great for baking, especially bread. Roseland flour (you may have to mill it yourself if you can find some Identity Preserved (IP) grain) can be combined with wheat flour (20 % by volume) and won’t affect the dough. The bonus is that the flavour has an added nuttiness.
Photos Courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
