Barley Water

SINGAPORE

A tall glass of cold barley water is one of my favourite drinks in summer when I’m feeling heaty. No, I didn’t mean to write ‘hot’. The concept of ‘heatiness’ must be something exclusively Asian, because I only meet with confused stares from my non-Asian friends when I try to explain why I’m drinking a ‘cooling’ cup of hot tea in summer. The notion of ‘cooling’ and ‘heaty’ is related to the balance of yin and yang, and when I find myself feeling hot, cross, restless and/or pimply, I know it’s time to correct the balance with more yin foods. Growing up, I’ve always been taught to see food as medicine. We don’t run straight to the doctor when we’ve got a tickle in the throat, we have some herbal tea instead, or maybe papayas simmered with almonds. Whether or not you think this is hocus-pocus, barley water is a great drink for hot days – light and refreshing with the mild sweetness of grains. I like to ring the changes by squeezing in some lime or tearing in some mint before serving.

Makes about 2 litres

• 200g pearl barley
• 2 litres water*
• raw local honey or sugar, to taste

Flavourings

• pandan leaves, tied into a knot, or the juice of 1 lemon, or a handful of torn mint leaves

1. Rinse the barley.
2. Put the water and barley (and the pandan leaves, if using) into a pot and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer on a low heat for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the grains are cooked and tender. You may need to top up with more water.
3. Strain the liquid and sweeten to taste with honey or sugar. When cooled, add the lemon or mint, if using. Pour into bottles, chuck into the fridge, and enjoy for the next 3–4 days.

Note: Save the cooked barley for adding to stews or salads. Or leave some of it in the barley water and serve with thick straws for a bit of yummy chewing in between slurps.