Camelina and quinoa, an alliterative pair, are among newcomer crops in North America, says Country Guide, based in Canada, before pointing to black barley, another new specialty crop. Also known as Ethiopian barley, “black barley was once an important food source for the ancient civilizations of North Africa, the Middle East and the Himalayas. Its name derives from the black color of its edible gloom (i.e. bran) layer, which stays attached to the kernel,” says Country Guide. The grain “could see its greatest demand from specialty food markets because of its reported nutritional and medicinal values.”
Black barley may date back a century in the United States and Canada but the history is hazy. The grain is now grown in Arizona and California but size of the crop is not known, says Country Guide, which describes field trials in Canada in 2014. Yields are similar to other barley types and the strain is adaptable to various climates and soils.
Says Country Guide, “Black barley has a unique opportunity to tempt so-called ‘foodies,’ many of whom are including quinoa in their diets. Black barley is touted as having a rich, nut-like flavor, and an appealing chewy, pasty-like texture, and has a glossy “sheen” to it when cooked.” It can be eaten as a breakfast cereal, added to soups and salads, or ground into flour for baking.