Barley tea

Barley tea
TypeHerbal tea

Other names
  • Bori-cha
  • dàmài-chá
  • mugi-cha
  • be̍h-á-tê
OriginEast Asia

Quick descriptionTea made from roasted barley

Temperature100 °C (212 °F)
Time5–10 minutes
Barley tea
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese大麥茶
Simplified Chinese大麦茶
Literal meaningbarley tea
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyindàmài chá
Wade–Gilesta4 mai4 ch'a2
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanizationdaaihmahk chàh
Jyutpingdaai6 mak6 caa4
Korean name
Hangul보리차
Literal meaningbarley tea
Transcriptions
Revised Romanizationbori-cha
McCune–Reischauerpori-ch'a
Japanese name
Kanji麦茶
Kanaむぎちゃ
Transcriptions
Revised Hepburnmugi-cha

Barley tea is a roasted-grain-based infusion made from barley. It is a staple across many East Asian countries such as China, Japan, and Korea. It has a toasty, bitter flavor.

In Korea, the tea is consumed either hot or cold, often taking the place of drinking water in many homes and restaurants. In Japan, it is usually served cold and is a popular summertime refreshment. The tea is also widely available in tea bags or bottled in Korea and Japan.