Barley is the fourth most commonly grown cereal in the world. It is a very hardy plant and will grow in places where wheat may not thrive. It was used much more widely in the Middle Ages when there were no very hardy strains of wheat. It was then an important part of peasant food called pottage. Today it is still used in some soups and in multigrain bread, but is best known for special purposes, such as use in beer.

Pearl barley is barley which has been in a machine that rubs off the hard husk (chaff, hull) making it easier to eat.

The first video below shows you what barley looks like in a field. The second video below shows you what pearl barley looks like.