Barley is one of the oldest cultivated crops globally, serving various purposes such as food, feed, brewing, and medicinal uses.

It belongs to the Poaceae family, Hordeum genus, and is an annual herbaceous plant. Barley's robust, smooth, hairless stems stand erect, with loosely clasping leaf sheaths, often without hair or with soft hair at the base. Its leaves are membranous, flat, and arranged in spike-like inflorescences.

The dense spikelets lack stems, each bearing three developed spikelets per node, without stalks. The linear-lanceolate glumes are short and soft-haired, with the grains adhering to the husk upon maturity without shedding.

Barley is typically classified into three types: six-row barley, with two opposite grooves on the spike, each bearing three spikelets, each with one floret and one seed; two-row barley, with a central fertile floret in each spikelet, while the lateral florets are usually sterile; and irregular or Abyssinian barley, seldom cultivated, with major and lateral fertile florets.

Barley seedlings closely resemble wheat in appearance, making them difficult to distinguish in the field. Barley cannot be used to make porous bread but can be utilized in non-fermented foods. In some regions of North Africa and Asia, barley flour is preferred for making porridge.

Barley appeared in the Central Plains around 900 BCE, whereas wheat appeared in the region at least 500 years earlier, possibly over 1000 years earlier. In other words, wheat entered the Central Plains during the Bronze Age, while barley was introduced during the Iron Age.

The reason for barley's name is not its size, seed size, or yield but because its growth period is shorter than that of wheat. When planted simultaneously, barley matures earlier; while the growth period for winter wheat lasts up to 180 days and for spring wheat 97 days, barley usually only requires 90 days! It is one of the shortest among cereal crops.

Therefore, it can be cultivated on slopes with short growing seasons in the Himalayas, although with lower yields. It also exhibits stronger resistance to dry heat than other small-grain crops. It is sown in autumn in semi-desert areas of North Africa and spring in cold, humid areas of Western Europe and North America.

During the yellow ripening stage, photosynthesis ceases, and the nutrient content in the grain ends to increase, representing the optimal harvesting time. At full maturity, the stems become dry and brittle, making grain loss easy, especially if it rains, leading to sprouting on the spike. Due to rain and grain respiration, timely harvesting is necessary.

Newly harvested barley has a high moisture content, and the seed coat's poor air and water permeability hinder oxygen and water from entering the grain. Like other crops, barley seeds have a unique dormancy mechanism, resulting in low and uneven germination rates.

Water sensitivity also affects germination, typically requiring eight weeks of after-ripening to achieve standard germination vigor. Freshly harvested barley grains have a moisture content of up to 40% and generally require drying.

Barley's marvel lies in Bekoji, a magical town in the heart of Africa, south of Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa. Bekoji has accumulated 11 medals in middle and long-distance running events, surpassing the performance of many countries in the Olympic Games. People discovered that, besides providing energy and nutrients for daily life and rigorous training, the only beverage consumed by the people of Bekoji is drinks brewed primarily from barley as a natural ingredient.