*2.5.4 Barley*

Barley is a resilient plant that can tolerate a wide range of conditions, which might have been cultivated since 15,000 BC [72]. The head or spike of barley is made up of spikelets that are attached to the rachis in an alternating pattern. The barley kernel's outer layers consist of the husk, the pericarp (to which the husk is tightly joined in most species), the testa or seed coat and the aleurone which completely covering the grain. Barley (*Hordeum vulgare*) is mainly cultivated for malting and brewing in the manufacture of beer and for distilling into whisky manufacture [65, 70]. The spent grains from the brew are used as animal feed, especially for pigs. However, a small amount of barley is used for food. Pearled barley is used in cooking soups and stews in the UK and in the far Middle East. Barley flour is also used in bread production and can be cooked as porridge in some countries [67].
