Barley is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world. Even in Northern Europe, it has already been farmed for over 3 000 years.

Barley plants can be identified by their long, prickly awns.

Barley is mostly used to make feed for livestock and farm animals. It is also used to make beer, bread and porridge. 

Barley is not a very useful baking cereal.

However, it contains a lot of important fibres, which is why it is good for the stomach.