Few are familiar with hulless barley because it is rarely stocked in grocery stores or even specialty stores.. Yet hulless barley is one of the most nutritious grains on earth. When you hear“barley”, you probably think “pearled barley”; but, pearled barley is actually only the inner core of the grain, with some of the best parts taken away! As it is harvested, standard barley contains a very fibrous hull that is indigestible to humans, so the grain is either fed to livestock or “pearled”, by mechanically removing the bran and outer portion of the grain—making the barley suitable for human digestion, but sacrificing much of the natural nutrition of the whole grain.

Hulless barley is a bit different.  It is a cousin to standard barley, but grows naturally without an indigestible hull. With no need for mechanical de-hulling, it is both digestible by humans and yet still contains healthful bran and fiber. Barley has the lowest glycemic index of any grain, about 1/3 that of wheat. So, diabetics can consume three times the hulless barley they can wheat!

Hulless barley also has a different gluten structure than wheat. This is good news for many individuals with wheat allergies. Often they can consume hulless barley. 

Since it is a true whole grain, it requires extended cooking time (1 hour or more), but by soaking for 8 to 10 hours, the cooking time is reduced by half. Barley is naturally low in gluten strength, so it is not suitable as the sole flour for yeast breads, but does work well for non-rising baked goods.