When Did Barley Become a "Specialty" Food?

[Deleted]

Granted, my local grocery shopping options are limited to Grocery Outlet, WalMart, and Raleys (an overpriced CA chain...) but the only place I could find barley sold locally was Raleys.

The person at WalMart looked at me like I had three heads when I asked about barley and I am fairly certain she had no idea what it was.

Grocery Outlet has yet to have any.

So, I paid the whopping $1.69 per pound for it at Raleys. Even the checker there looked at it like WTF is this? 

Do other people not eat it? Like rice? In soups/stews?

Shopping for staples lately seems to get harder as foods are moved out in exchange for packaged and mixed everything. It drives me nuts. I know, I'm already nuts. 

I've gone back to healthy eating in hopes of losing more weight and getting healthier in case I need some sort of surgery. Then again, I've lost 10 pounds since I came down with food poisoning. And, the next 10 days of more antibiotics will probably be more of the same...

[dannylion]

It's sometimes hard to find here, too.  I like barley in soups and wheatberries for salads.  I buy them online.  The selection and prices are better from online retailers.  

[billisonboard]

August 12, 1983. You're welcome.

[Deleted]

Jun 27, 2019 19:59:29 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

August 12, 1983. You're welcome.

Wow, we bought it in the rice aisle until I graduated in 1987.    

[billisonboard]

That was because it took that long for the store to get rid of existing stock.

[Tiny]

Do other people not eat it? Like rice? In soups/stews?

I eat it. I use it in soups/stews or in a "salad".

I use to only be able to find it at the "Health Food Store" -- I'm not really sure what the name was everyone just called it that (it was where you would buy Tofu and plain yogurt and could get your Chakra aligned - basically only weird people shopped there. )

Now, I can usually find it at grocery stores that market to "ethnic" audiences. Usually, if they have a middle eastern or Indian section along with Hispanic, European and Asia pacific stuff - there will be barley in there somewhere.

Sometimes, even Aldi will have grains like barley or lentils or quinoa - but those aren't staples. They come and go.

I'm kind of fond of Bulgar Wheat - and have trouble finding that.

[weltschmerz]

Jun 27, 2019 23:06:53 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Do other people not eat it? Like rice? In soups/stews?

I eat it. I use it in soups/stews or in a "salad".

I use to only be able to find it at the "Health Food Store" -- I'm not really sure what the name was everyone just called it that (it was where you would buy Tofu and plain yogurt and could get your Chakra aligned - basically only weird people shopped there. )

Now, I can usually find it at grocery stores that market to "ethnic" audiences. Usually, if they have a middle eastern or Indian section along with Hispanic, European and Asia pacific stuff - there will be barley in there somewhere.

Sometimes, even Aldi will have grains like barley or lentils or quinoa - but those aren't staples. They come and go.

I'm kind of fond of Bulgar Wheat - and have trouble finding that.

I like buckwheat. You can find it at any European ethnic shop. Ever stuff a chicken with cooked buckwheat? It sucks up all the lovely chicken juices while it's roasting..
Delicious!
I also use it in tabouleh.

[resolution]

I use it occasionally in soup. They sell it in my grocery store alongside the rice, quinoa, and other grains.

When my dad was a kid, his mom would make a big pot of barley soup at the beginning of each week and they would eat it all week.

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

If your store carries Bob's Red Mill brand, quite possibly barley is available, you might just not be looking in the correct section of the store?

[Value Buy]

Our local stores always carried it in the soup section, usually on the top shelf area, mostly in the dried soups area. Tbe brand is Quaker.......I have seen it in the rice/dried beans area too.
WMT and Meijer super centers, not sure if they carry it or where they put it.
Bob's red mill brand....sometimes in the regular grocery section or in natural/ health food area of the store. Depends whether the store integrates health foods into the regular departments or has a designated specialty area.
Where is the Haitian when we have these very important issues?

[Deleted]

Barley used to be what poor people ate but now it's upscale.

I try to minimize refined carbs and animal protein so I go through a lot of couscous, quinoa, barley, wheatberries, etc.  I get them in the Bulk section at my local grocery store but the price you paid sounds about right.  I try to remind myself it's a heck of a lot cheaper than meat.

[NoNamePerson]

I buy it at Super Target but all the stores here carry it. All the health food stores carry it also if you want to buy in bulk In grocery stores it can be found in different departments depending on the chain store. Sometimes in rice/bean section sometimes in soup and one store carries it along side brand Near East products - quinoa/couscous/Tabbouleh.  

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I have never had any problem finding barley.  I usually find it with the dried beans in the soup section.  Seems to me that $1.69/lb is about right.  

Several years ago, I was at dinner where the chef made a smoked Gouda risotto. I managed to talk him out of the recipe and it is awesome.  I have since modified it for other flavors.

[Deleted]

Jun 28, 2019 1:12:45 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Jun 27, 2019 23:06:53 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Do other people not eat it? Like rice? In soups/stews?

I eat it. I use it in soups/stews or in a "salad".

I use to only be able to find it at the "Health Food Store" -- I'm not really sure what the name was everyone just called it that (it was where you would buy Tofu and plain yogurt and could get your Chakra aligned - basically only weird people shopped there. )

I like buckwheat. You can find it at any European ethnic shop. Ever stuff a chicken with cooked buckwheat? It sucks up all the lovely chicken juices while it's roasting..
Delicious!
I also use it in tabouleh.

When I was a kid, my uncle had Celiac Disease and couldn't eat gluten. We always had buckwheat pancakes at his house and I loved them. I've been looking for some buckwheat pancake mix for a while as well.

The "weird" people at the health food stores here in the Mt. Shasta area we call the deodorant optional people. 

[dannylion]

Jun 28, 2019 10:15:23 GMT -5 @rockhounder said:

Jun 28, 2019 1:12:45 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

I like buckwheat. You can find it at any European ethnic shop. Ever stuff a chicken with cooked buckwheat? It sucks up all the lovely chicken juices while it's roasting..
Delicious!
I also use it in tabouleh.

When I was a kid, my uncle had Celiac Disease and couldn't eat gluten. We always had buckwheat pancakes at his house and I loved them. I've been looking for some buckwheat pancake mix for a while as well.

The "weird" people at the health food stores here in the Mt. Shasta area we call the deodorant optional people. 

You can probably get buckwheat pancake mix from Vitacost online (as well as the barley).  That's my go-to place for that sort of thing.  I've seen buckwheat pancake mix in grocery stores here, but it's hit and miss.  

[Tiny]

Jun 28, 2019 6:29:34 GMT -5 resolution said:

I use it occasionally in soup. They sell it in my grocery store alongside the rice, quinoa, and other grains.

When my dad was a kid, his mom would make a big pot of barley soup at the beginning of each week and they would eat it all week.

I currently  have a polenta fetish (been making it every week and doing all sorts of different recipes) - so when I let it slip that I was making polenta - my BFF wrinkled up her face in disgust.   She had never had polenta. Her dad told stories of how he ate polenta for the bulk of his childhood (I'm sure this story wasn't told with a fond remembrance - but with the "We were poor and had to eat crappy food - I will never eat polenta again" nuance).   I assume she thought polenta must be nasty awful stuff to have to eat.  

I make a wonderfully creamy rosemary polenta  which is my current favorite.   (especially cut into squares and then toasted and topped with tomato/basil/cheese and a drizzle of olive oil...)  

When I went more vegetarian than omnivore - I would sometimes quietly joke that I was eating "poor people food" - many bean and lentil recipes that once I got the hang of it - morphed into more complicated/spicey usually very tasty recipes.     

[Tiny]

Jun 28, 2019 1:12:45 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Jun 27, 2019 23:06:53 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Do other people not eat it? Like rice? In soups/stews?

I eat it. I use it in soups/stews or in a "salad".

I use to only be able to find it at the "Health Food Store" -- I'm not really sure what the name was everyone just called it that (it was where you would buy Tofu and plain yogurt and could get your Chakra aligned - basically only weird people shopped there. )

Now, I can usually find it at grocery stores that market to "ethnic" audiences. Usually, if they have a middle eastern or Indian section along with Hispanic, European and Asia pacific stuff - there will be barley in there somewhere.

Sometimes, even Aldi will have grains like barley or lentils or quinoa - but those aren't staples. They come and go.

I'm kind of fond of Bulgar Wheat - and have trouble finding that.

I like buckwheat. You can find it at any European ethnic shop. Ever stuff a chicken with cooked buckwheat? It sucks up all the lovely chicken juices while it's roasting..
Delicious!
I also use it in tabouleh.

I have not tried buckwheat.  I don't think I've ever seen it at the Grocery - which means - since I wasn't looking for it my eyes slide right over the packages as if they did not exist.        When I get over my polenta thing... I will look harder for Buckwheat - I googled and it sounds like it's pretty versatile and tasty.    

[dannylion]

Jun 28, 2019 10:23:51 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Jun 28, 2019 6:29:34 GMT -5 resolution said:

I use it occasionally in soup. They sell it in my grocery store alongside the rice, quinoa, and other grains.

When my dad was a kid, his mom would make a big pot of barley soup at the beginning of each week and they would eat it all week.

I currently  have a polenta fetish (been making it every week and doing all sorts of different recipes) - so when I let it slip that I was making polenta - my BFF wrinkled up her face in disgust.   She had never had polenta. Her dad told stories of how he ate polenta for the bulk of his childhood (I'm sure this story wasn't told with a fond remembrance - but with the "We were poor and had to eat crappy food - I will never eat polenta again" nuance).   I assume she thought polenta must be nasty awful stuff to have to eat.  

I make a wonderfully creamy rosemary polenta  which is my current favorite.   (especially cut into squares and then toasted and topped with tomato/basil/cheese and a drizzle of olive oil...)  

When I went more vegetarian than omnivore - I would sometimes quietly joke that I was eating "poor people food" - many bean and lentil recipes that once I got the hang of it - morphed into more complicated/spicey usually very tasty recipes.     

Polenta is yummy!  Especially as a vector for lots of parmesan cheese.  Rosemary polenta sounds good.  I really want to try making polenta "fries" where you chill a sheet pan of cooked polenta until it is nice and firm, then cut it into "fries" and put olive oil and other seasonings on them and bake them in the oven until the outside is crispy.  Giada de Laurentis also makes polenta croutons for salads.  So many things to make with polenta.  

[resolution]

That polenta sounds lovely!

[weltschmerz]

Jun 28, 2019 10:15:23 GMT -5 @rockhounder said:

Jun 28, 2019 1:12:45 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

I like buckwheat. You can find it at any European ethnic shop. Ever stuff a chicken with cooked buckwheat? It sucks up all the lovely chicken juices while it's roasting..
Delicious!
I also use it in tabouleh.

When I was a kid, my uncle had Celiac Disease and couldn't eat gluten. We always had buckwheat pancakes at his house and I loved them. I've been looking for some buckwheat pancake mix for a while as well.

The "weird" people at the health food stores here in the Mt. Shasta area we call the deodorant optional people. 

Buckwheat pancakes (blini) are a Russian tradition, served with smoked salmon and caviar.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Around here, folks use buckwheat hulls as mulch.  I'm not aware that we eat more buckwheat than other areas in the country, but apparently we eat enough to have enough hulls to use as mulch.

Barley is great in soup.  I tend to shop Whole Paycheck and know it is readily available there both packaged and at the prepared foods counter.

[weltschmerz]

Jun 28, 2019 11:25:35 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Around here, folks use buckwheat hulls as mulch.  I'm not aware that we eat more buckwheat than other areas in the country, but apparently we eat enough to have enough hulls to use as mulch.

Barley is great in soup.  I tend to shop Whole Paycheck and know it is readily available there both packaged and at the prepared foods counter.

Do they sell it en vrac? I'm trying to think of the English translation...loose and not packaged, so you can buy however much you want?

[NoNamePerson]

Jun 28, 2019 10:35:37 GMT -5 dannylion said:

Jun 28, 2019 10:23:51 GMT -5 Tiny said:

I currently  have a polenta fetish (been making it every week and doing all sorts of different recipes) - so when I let it slip that I was making polenta - my BFF wrinkled up her face in disgust.   She had never had polenta. Her dad told stories of how he ate polenta for the bulk of his childhood (I'm sure this story wasn't told with a fond remembrance - but with the "We were poor and had to eat crappy food - I will never eat polenta again" nuance).   I assume she thought polenta must be nasty awful stuff to have to eat.  

I make a wonderfully creamy rosemary polenta  which is my current favorite.   (especially cut into squares and then toasted and topped with tomato/basil/cheese and a drizzle of olive oil...)  

When I went more vegetarian than omnivore - I would sometimes quietly joke that I was eating "poor people food" - many bean and lentil recipes that once I got the hang of it - morphed into more complicated/spicey usually very tasty recipes.     

Polenta is yummy!  Especially as a vector for lots of parmesan cheese.  Rosemary polenta sounds good.  I really want to try making polenta "fries" where you chill a sheet pan of cooked polenta until it is nice and firm, then cut it into "fries" and put olive oil and other seasonings on them and bake them in the oven until the outside is crispy.  Giada de Laurentis also makes polenta croutons for salads.  So many things to make with polenta.  

I love polenta also. But I also have friends who look at me like I've grown a second head!! I never understand someone saying they don't "like" something they have never tried. Just say I've never tried that and skip the I don't like part. 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jun 28, 2019 11:41:55 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Jun 28, 2019 11:25:35 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Around here, folks use buckwheat hulls as mulch.  I'm not aware that we eat more buckwheat than other areas in the country, but apparently we eat enough to have enough hulls to use as mulch.

Barley is great in soup.  I tend to shop Whole Paycheck and know it is readily available there both packaged and at the prepared foods counter.

Do they sell it en vrac? I'm trying to think of the English translation...loose and not packaged, so you can buy however much you want?

In bulk.....yes, they do in some stores.  They do in the 2 major stores I use, but I normally just grab a 1 lb bag.  

[weltschmerz]

In bulk...yes, that's the term I was looking for.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Jun 28, 2019 11:41:55 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Jun 28, 2019 11:25:35 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Around here, folks use buckwheat hulls as mulch.  I'm not aware that we eat more buckwheat than other areas in the country, but apparently we eat enough to have enough hulls to use as mulch.

Barley is great in soup.  I tend to shop Whole Paycheck and know it is readily available there both packaged and at the prepared foods counter.

Do they sell it en vrac? I'm trying to think of the English translation...loose and not packaged, so you can buy however much you want?

Whole Paycheck probably does, but I haven't checked.  I avoid the bulk sections of grocery stores due to cross-contamination concerns related to my sons' life-threatening food allergies.  

[weltschmerz]

Jun 28, 2019 12:29:26 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Jun 28, 2019 11:41:55 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Do they sell it en vrac? I'm trying to think of the English translation...loose and not packaged, so you can buy however much you want?

Whole Paycheck probably does, but I haven't checked.  I avoid the bulk sections of grocery stores due to cross-contamination concerns related to my sons' life-threatening food allergies.  

Well, that's understandable.
I try to buy en vrac whenever I can. There's a farmers market here which even sells the most delicious capers in bulk...plump and not too salty.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I have found some stores have absolutely no rhyme or reason as to where things are located.  I'm looking at you local Hy-Vee.

I can find barely either in the soup aisle, the ethnic aisle buried with the rice, in the bulk section or in the health food section.   It depends on what store I am in.

[Chocolate Lover]

Jun 28, 2019 13:40:38 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I have found some stores have absolutely no rhyme or reason as to where things are located.  I'm looking at you local Hy-Vee.

I can find barely either in the soup aisle, the ethnic aisle buried with the rice, in the bulk section or in the health food section.   It depends on what store I am in.

Yep. The canned fruit is miles away from the dried fruit in my local Walmart. They used to stock it together, but that was way too reasonable.

[Tiny]

Jun 28, 2019 10:35:37 GMT -5 dannylion said:

Jun 28, 2019 10:23:51 GMT -5 Tiny said:

I currently  have a polenta fetish (been making it every week and doing all sorts of different recipes) - so when I let it slip that I was making polenta - my BFF wrinkled up her face in disgust.   She had never had polenta. Her dad told stories of how he ate polenta for the bulk of his childhood (I'm sure this story wasn't told with a fond remembrance - but with the "We were poor and had to eat crappy food - I will never eat polenta again" nuance).   I assume she thought polenta must be nasty awful stuff to have to eat.  

I make a wonderfully creamy rosemary polenta  which is my current favorite.   (especially cut into squares and then toasted and topped with tomato/basil/cheese and a drizzle of olive oil...)  

When I went more vegetarian than omnivore - I would sometimes quietly joke that I was eating "poor people food" - many bean and lentil recipes that once I got the hang of it - morphed into more complicated/spicey usually very tasty recipes.     

Polenta is yummy!  Especially as a vector for lots of parmesan cheese.  Rosemary polenta sounds good.  I really want to try making polenta "fries" where you chill a sheet pan of cooked polenta until it is nice and firm, then cut it into "fries" and put olive oil and other seasonings on them and bake them in the oven until the outside is crispy.  Giada de Laurentis also makes polenta croutons for salads.  So many things to make with polenta.  

Make polenta (and fries) you will NOT be dissappointed.   OK, you might be...  here's some tips for better polenta:  buy a package of "polenta" corn meal (don't use the corn meal you use to make grits or corn muffins).   You want a rough cut corn meal... usually labeled with "polenta" somewhere on the package.    Make it with milk (and the other ingredients)  and, like rissotto, stir constantly!      Milk gives it a nice texture when eating - versus water.        


You can buy pre-made polenta in a "chub" - but it's bland.  Really bland.  It needs doctoring up.   The "chub" stuff would work if you are making polenta lasagna for example.