A no-caffeine tea with nutty undertones, roasted Korean barley tea (boricha/ mugicha/ damaicha) needs only 2 ingredients & can be drunk hot or cold - iced boricha is delicious on a summer's day!
Jump to:
What is Korean barley tea?
It's a roasted barley tea (boricha 보리차)- a similar drink is found in many other East Asian countries: in China, it's called Da Mai Cha 大麦茶 and in Japan mugicha. The 1st time I had roasted Korean barley tea was at a restaurant in Seoul 11 years ago- many Korean restaurants serve it instead of water- I fell in love with it and started making it at home.
You can buy roasted barley tea in either whole roasted grain form or pre-ground into powder (and packed in a tea bag). However, it's really easy (and cheaper!) to roast the grains yourself and I'll detail how to in the recipe card below.
Taste
This naturally caffeine free boricha has a nutty toasted flavour. It's usually delicious- goes very well with Korean food- but when overly concentrated can be a little sour and bitter.
The higher a ratio of roasted barley to water you use, or the browner your grains (i.e. the longer they've been toasted), the more concentrated the flavour will be, so adjust your tea making accordingly.
I totally miscalculated the 1st time I made this at home- thanks to a blog post that told me to use ⅓C of roasted grains (WAY too much- and the pearl barley tea was super strong! The final drink reminded me of coffee, which I am not a fan of. (If you find the roasted barley tea too concentrated, it's easy to dilute by just adding more water.)
Why make my version
It's faster & cheaper
I make a lot of roasted barley tea so I've streamlined the process to make it as efficient as possible. Some recipes advise you to wash the barley grains then roast the grains to store --> to me, this is a waste of time, electricity and money! Do you know how much longer it'll take to roast the grains once they're wet?! However, dirt and dust on the grains are an issue, so washing is important: I advocate roasting and storing the grains, THEN washing the grains before you drink it (more on tea washing below).
It's flexible, not prescriptive
There are lots of different variations on making boricha/ mugicha/ damaicha out there. Some say to use 2-3 tablespoons of toasted barley to 2 litres of water, others say ¼C to 1 litre (i.e. 4 tablespoons); some say simmer for 20 minutes and others say to steep overnight, etc etc.
However, ultimately, it really depends on how toasted your grains are- which varies from brand to brand- and your tastebuds. Instead of giving a prescriptive recipe, the quantities I specify are more of a guideline, and I include photos of this roasted barley tea to show you how concentrated it will be when you change the time/ ingredients ratio etc, so that you can adjust to your liking.
Health benefits
Did you know that barley played a vital role in the health of human migration from Africa to Asia? Barley and its extracts have 30 components which help fight over 20 chronic diseases. In fact, it has the highest antioxidant properties among cereal crops!
Roasted barley tea contains quercetin, a flavonoid linked to a healthy brain and heart (National Center for Biotechnology Information). Some Korean mothers even give it to their babies to drink! (I am not recommending you this- this is purely for info and not meant as a nutrition/ medical guide. A lot of women want to know if they can drink Korean barley tea when pregant and/ or breastfeeding - when in doubt, always consult your doctor!)
Helps you sleep better (Caffeine-free)
Not only is roasted barley tea caffeine-free, it also contains melatonin, which helps to promote sleep. I've taken to drinking some boricha or mugicha 1-2 evenings a week and have found that I sleep much better now (I used to take forever to fall asleep and would sometimes go to bed around 3-5 am, but now I can barely keep my eyes open at 1am! In fact, I'm having a cup as I write this!)
Note: I am not a qualified medical professional and this is not meant as diet/ health/ medical advice!
Other Asian teas that have no caffeine include longan tea, osmanthus tea and plum tea.
Low in calories
Roasted Korean barley tea has negligible calories- there are only trace amounts of calories per cup!
Contains Gluten
Unfortunately, barley is not gluten-free so celiacs should give it a miss. If you are looking for GF recipes, click here to find over 70 of them!
Toasting the kernels
Skip the heavy bottom pans
Don't get me wrong. I love my heavy Le Creuset and lugged it back from London to Singapore. However, testament to the quality and thickness of the pan, it took me over 1 hour to toast barley kernels using it. Whilst I believe in spending time in the kitchen, 1 hour was a bit too much for me!
Instead, use a regular thinner bottom skillet and roasting the grains should take about 20-30 minutes on medium heat. (If you're using a gas stove, it's hotter than an induction so the process will be faster. Either way, don't use high heat!)
Don't add oil
Not sure about you, but oily tea isn't really my thing, so dry fry the grains without any oil.
How to make boricha
You can make this no-caffeine Korean barley tea either from store-bought or homemade roasted barley:
- Shop bought comes in bags or as loose kernels
- tea bags (often it's crushed barley in the bags and not the whole kernels)
- loose pre-roasted grains (usually hulled)
- Note: Some are for steeping in cold water (cold brew- this is what my Korean friend does) and others for hot brew, so check before buying
- In addition, the Koreans also sell boricha tea bags that is meant to be used like a, say, Twinings or Lipton tea bag so don't add 2 litres of water to those or they'll be very diluted! (Use them the way you use a regular tea bag)
- In Singapore, mugicha is more affordable than boricha
- Homemade: Toast your own barley grains
- if you can't get hulled grains, pearl barley works fine too
- toast on medium heat (a slower roast creates a deeper flavour but you don't want to spend all day at the stove, so medium is a good compromise.)
- If you're using grains (i.e. no tea bag), you can use a strainer or sieve them out before storing the tea in the chiller.
- if you can find empty disposable tea bags, packing your home browned kernels in bags make a great gift for friends!
Depending on whether the kernel is hulled or unhulled, in powder or whole form etc, the concentration will differ, so you'll need to adjust the simmering/ steeping time accordingly. Generally:
- broken barley bits (this is the most common type of store-bought Japanese mugicha)- quicker to brew
- whole kernels- take longer to steep. Alternatively, you can simmer them to make it stronger tasting.
- Usually, my home toasted kernels are less roasted than the store bought ones as I get tired of standing at the stove after 30 minutes! (So I simmer them for longer)
Photo guide for roasting barley
This photo shows home toasted barley, comparing the difference in colour in 5 minute intervals:
- after 5 minutes (top plate- no difference between the Le Creuset heavy skillet and WMF thin bottom pan so I've put them on the same plate)
- 2nd row on left: 10 minutes (the grains on plate is the Le Creuset/ heavy pan and the bowl WMF/ thin pan)
- 3rd row on left: 15 minutes (as above)
- 4th/ bottom row on left: 20 minute (as above) -> As you can see, after 20 minutes, the Le Creuset grains are barely golden so I gave up on them and concentrated on the WMF pan
- Rightmost bowl, top: barley after 25 minutes in a heated WMF/ thin bottom pan
- Rightmost bowl, bottom: barley after 30 minutes in a thin WMF pan. I decided to stop here but you can always continue if you want a deeper flavour. Just make sure you stir and watch the grains more carefully from now on as you don't want them burnt!
Cold Brew Tea
Steep the tea bag/ toasted barley grains in room temperature water, leave it in the fridge for a few hours- overnight. If you're using this cold brew method and want a very strong flavour, you'll need more kernels as there's no heat to bring the flavour out of the toasted grains.
Iced damaicha/ boricha/ mugicha is particularly refreshing on hot summer days (so everyday in Singapore, really.) It's easiest to make a large jar of it, then store it in the fridge for the day. (I don't recommend keeping it for more than 1-2 days.)
Hot Brew Tea
Put the barley (loose grains/ tea bag) in a pot of water, bring to a boil then simmer or steep for 10-20 minutes, depending on how heavy you want the Korean roasted barley tea taste to be. Coffee drinkers may enjoy the more concentrated version as it shares similar flavour notes and can steep/ simmer for even more time.
If you've made it too strong, just add more water to dilute it!
Fun fact: A really quick way of making this drink is to directly add the toasted kernels into your kettle, bring the water to the boil, let it steep and, voila, you get roasted barley tea!
Don't forget to wash your tea
Washing your tea sounds weird but it's a traditional Chinese practice to throw away the 1st batch of water after adding it to your tea leaves/ flowers/ grains. Think about it. Those leaves etc have been sitting out in the sun to dry, gathering dust and what not, so who knows what's in that 1st batch of tea? So for a hot brew roasted barley tea, for example, add some hot water to the tea bag/ kernels then toss that hot water away. With the tea bag/ grains still in the pot, add more water and proceed to make your cuppa.
Variations
You only need 2 ingredients- water and barley- to prepare this tea but some people like to add the frills, like honey and lemon.
In South East Asia, there is a similar popular barley drink called barley water, but it's prepared by boiling water with unroasted pearl barley (and sometimes pandan leaves)- people in Singapore make it when they feel too heaty and want to cool down! Add a squeeze of lemon for extra flavour!
To sweeten or not
Traditionally, boricha is not sweetened. However, recently people have taken to adding other ingredients such as milk and sometimes sugar to make barley milk tea. (The Taiwanese even add tapioca pearls for barley milk bubble tea!) For naturally sweeter roasted barley tea, include toasted corn grains to make Korean oksusu bori cha (Korean barley & corn tea).
Storage
Your home toasted barley kernels can be kept in an air-tight container (after they've cooled) and kept in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
Korean barley tea goes bad so keep it in the refrigerator too- I try to finish mine within 24hours.
What to do with the leftover grains
After making roasted barley tea (or barley water), don't throw the grains away as they can be eaten. (Just make sure your grains have been sufficiently toasted so they're cooked.) Waste not, want not after all- I throw mine in when I cook rice or porridge the next day. (Barley goes bad fast so don't keep the cooked grains for too long- I recommend no more than 1 night.)
Other ways to use the toasted grains include:
- tossed into salad
- blended and added to your bakes
- thrown into a braise or stew- the grains will take on the flavour of the sauce and taste delicious (Barley-otto, anyone?)
- With yoghurt or cereal
If you're into living more sustainably, here's a link to more recipes which use other kitchen scraps and leftovers.
Where to buy
Barley Grains
You'll find untoasted pearl barley in almost all supermarkets. If not, it's readily available online: you can, for example, get Bob's Red Mill pearl barley and even hulled barley (which is a little harder to find) on Amazon.
For roasted kernels, you'll need to go to an Asian grocery store- the Korean ones are your best bet!
Tea Bags
Commonly available in most Asian supermarkets.
Pre-made
These days, Asian food is so ubiquitous that you can even find bottled Korean barley tea at places like Trader Joe's - the reviews don't seem great though, so why not make your own since it's so easy? Scroll down for how to make homemade Korean roasted barley tea!
FAQ
Barley can help fight over 20 chronic diseases and has a lot of antioxidants. Bottled barley tea may contain sugar or other preservatives and additives, but homemade barley tea is good for you. For more about its benefits, read the section "Health Benefits" in this post!
Roasted Korean Barley Tea Recipe (Boricha) (Mugicha) (Damai cha)
Equipment
- Thin bottom skillet
- heat proof spatula
- Pot/ Kettle
- Jar
Ingredients
For barley tea using shopbought pre-roasted kernels/ home toasted kernels
- 1- 1½ Tablespoon roasted barley kernels Depending on how toasted the grains are and how deep a flavour you want
- 1 Litres Water
For barley tea using a store bought tea bag
- Water Usually either 1 Cup or 2 Litres of water per bag- check the back of the packet for instructions
- 1 Tea Bag
Instructions
Roasting the barley grains
- Using a thin bottom skillet (I used a WMF pan), heat the barley grains on medium (Heat level: I recommend 5 on a Bosch induction stove with a maximum of 9). I usually roast ½-1 Cup of roasted barley at a time- if you crowd the skillet, it'll take longer to dry fry.Stir every now and then- you'll have to stir more as the grains get browner. This will take 20-30 minutes depending on how brown you want your grains and how thick your pan is. Do not use a heavy pan like Le Creuset if you don't want to be at the stove for an hour! Scroll back up the post for photos of how brown the kernels get every 5 minutes.
- Once the barley has cooled, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.
- You can even get empty disposable tea bags and pack your own tea bags!
Barley tea from toasted whole kernels (shopbought/ home toasted)
- Add 1-2 Tablespoons of the toasted grains into a tea strainer, pour in some hot water, swirl it around the grains then toss the water out.
- With the same tea strainer, add 1 litres of water. (If you don't have a strainer, use a sieve) Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the fire and allow it to simmer for 10-20 minutes. Alternatively, you can switch off the fire and steep the barley till it's at your desired strength.
- After the tea is at your desired strength, take out the kernels. You can drink it rightaway or cool and store it in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Barley tea from a store-bought tea bag (Single-use, usually Korean)
- Make as you do your regular tea. Put the tea bag in a mug, add some hot water to wash the tea bag then throw it away. Add approximately 1 Cup of hot water to the same mug and tea bag, allow to steep then drink and enjoy.
- You can top up the water in the mug once done, but successive cups tend to be quite diluted.
Japanese Barley tea from a store-bought tea bag (mugicha)
- Your packet should have instructions at the back but, if not, Japanese mugicha usually calls for bringing 1.5-2 litres of water to the boil, adding the tea bag, then turning off the fire to steep the tea for 10-20 minutes. Note some tea bags are for use with cold/ room temperature water so check first!
- Remove the tea bag (optional- depending on how strong a flavour you want) and after the tea has cooled, store in the fridge. (Japanese barley tea is usually drunk cold during summer. You can expedite the cooling process by placing the pot in cold water.) Finish within 1-2 days.
Optional, non-traditional variations
- Sweet barley tea: stir in some honey or sugar. You can also add roasted corn kernels for a naturally sweet toaste
- With a twist: adding a squeeze of lemon and sugar is delicious
- Barley milk tea: Add some milk and sugar (optional)
- Barley milk bubble tea: Add milk, sugar and cooked tapioca pearls
- Cold brew: steep the grains/ tea bag in room temperature water for a few hours- overnight
Notes
Other Korean recipes that you may like to try range from homemade Korean plum wine to any of the following:
Thea says
My Favorite tea! I use to get the bottled from Trader Joe's until they discontinued it. I now use tea bags from Korea. But will look into the Bob Mill barley to make my own! Thank you for the recipe and info.
Zen says
So happy that this recipe could help someone- I'm drinking a cup to put me to sleep now! Thanks for the lovely comment, Thea!
Heather says
My fave Korean tea! Those step by step photos are super helpful!
Zen says
yay took me ages to finish the post cuz of the photos- very happy they're of help, Heather!
geri says
I always have this at Korean restaurants and LOVE it! Didn't know it was so easy to make! Will try it this weekend thanks
Zen says
my fave drink at korean restaurants too, Geri!