Barley tea

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Barley tea ( Japanese 麦 茶 mugicha , obsolete 麦 湯 mugiyu ) is a popular drink in East Asia that is made from roasted barley grains . These are brewed with hot water or cold for 1–2 hours.

The drink can be enjoyed hot or cold. It has a light brown color and a slightly sweet, tart aroma, with a clear barley taste in the finish. Mugicha is particularly popular with ice cream in summer.

First enjoyed by the Japanese court nobility since the Heian period , “barley tea” gained great popularity among the general population during the Edo period under the name mugiyu (“hot barley water”). On travel routes and in settlements, makeshift booths were built in many places, in which “barley water sellers ” ( mugiyu-uri ) offered the inexpensive drink compared to tea, which was still precious at the time . Mugicha is still popular today, especially in summer, also because the freshly harvested barley is then used.

Mugicha spread to Korea and China in the early 20th century . The characters for "barley tea" were adopted, only the reading changed. In Korea, the drink is called boricha ( kor. 보리차 ) and is often combined with oksusucha ( 옥수수 차 ) made from roasted corn . In China one speaks of dàmàichá ( 大麥茶  /  大麦茶 ).

Today the trade offers Mugicha tea bags that make brewing and dosing easier.

  • Mugicha

  • crushed barley for brewing mugicha

  • Retail pack for approx. 1.5 liters of barley tea

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