In Korean restaurants, the standard complimentary tea served with barbecue is barley tea. Professor Zhang Changfu from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine says that barley is sweet in taste and neutral in nature, and has the effects of relieving food stagnation and bloating, harmonizing the stomach to quench thirst, replenishing qi to regulate the middle energizer, strengthening the blood vessels, nourishing the five organs, and aiding digestion of grain.
You might as well brew a pot of barley tea while preparing a sumptuous meal for your family. Barley tea, made from roasted barley (available in most supermarkets), contains various trace elements, essential amino acids, multiple minerals, unsaturated fatty acids, and dietary fiber that the human body needs, but it does not contain components like theophylline or caffeine, and its sugar content is extremely low.
Barley tea is very popular in Japan and South Korea. In South Korea, most households use barley tea as their main beverage. In Japanese restaurants, people drink barley tea to eliminate the aftertaste of raw fish. In China, people focus on nourishing their bodies in winter, and their diet often consists mainly of chicken, duck, fish, and meat. After a hearty feast, drinking a cup of strong barley tea can not only cut through the grease but also promote digestion. Moreover, hot barley tea has the effect of nourishing and warming the stomach, making it suitable for people of all ages.
In addition, barley tea will not stain your teaware or your teeth. Long-term consumption of barley tea can have beautifying and weight-loss effects. Loose barley tea can be boiled in a pot; use one handful of barley tea with two liters of water and boil for about 15 minutes. If it's bagged barley tea, you can simply brew it with boiling water.