The main difference between pearl and hulled barley is that pearl barley is barley that has been processed to remove its outer bran layer along with the hull, while hulled barley is barley that has undergone only minimal processing to remove only the tough inedible outer hull.
Pearl barley and hulled barley are two forms of barley. Hulled barley is the whole grain form of barley, but pearly barley is the most common form of barley used in recipes.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Pearl Barley
– Definition, Features
2. What is Hulled Barley
– Definition, Features
3. Difference Between Pearl and Hulled Barley
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Barley, Pearl Barley, Hulled Barley
What is Pearl Barley
Pearl barley is barley that has been ‘pearled’ or processed to remove its outer bran layer along with the hull. It’s the most common form of barley. In fact, most of the barley we find in supermarkets and groceries are pearl barley. Most recipes call for this variety of barley. Lightly pearled barely has a tan colour, whereas heavily pearled barley has quite a white colour.
Pearl barley is chewy and nutritious but not as hulled barley. Moreover, pearl barley is softer than hulled barley since it doesn’t contain outer husk and bran layers. It also takes less time to cook, about forty minutes. Pearl barley has a caloric, protein, vitamin and mineral content similar to wheat. We mainly use barley in soups, stews, and potages. Pearl barley is considered to be much healthier than other varieties of refined grains. This is because some of the bran is still present in the barley grain, and the fibre content in barley grains is found throughout the kernel, not just in the bran layer.
What is Hulled Barley
Hulled barley (barley groats) is barley that has undergone only minimal processing to remove only the tough inedible outer hull. We can describe it as the whole grain form of barley. It’s a challenging process to remove the outermost hull without removing the bran layers. This is why hulled barley is not very common.
Hulled barley is chewy and rich in fibre. In fact, it’s the healthiest kind of barley. But it takes longer to cook than pearl barley, usually about an hour or more. As you can see from the above images, it’s not difficult to identify hulled barley from pearl barley.
If a recipe calls for barley, it’s usually referring to pearl barley, but you can use hulled barley as a substitute. However, you will have to keep in mind that hulled barley will take a longer time took.
Difference Between Pearl and Hulled Barley
Definition
Pearl barley is barley that has been processed to remove its outer bran layer along with the hull, while hulled barley is barley that has undergone only minimal processing to remove only the tough inedible outer hull.
Processing
Hulled barley is minimally processed, whereas pearl barley undergoes more processing.
Texture
Pearl barley is less chewy than hulled barley.
Softness
Pearl barley is softer than hulled barley since it doesn’t contain outer husk and bran layers.
Nutrition
Pearl barley is more nutritious than other processed grains, but hulled barley is more nutritious than pearly barley.
Cooking Time
Pearl barley has a shorter cooking time than hulled barley, which takes an hour or more to cook.
Conclusion
The main difference between pearl and hulled barley is that pearl barley is barley that has been processed to remove its outer bran layer along with the hull, while hulled barley is barley that has undergone only minimal processing to remove only the tough inedible outer hull. In addition, pearl barley is less chewy and nutritious than hulled barley.
Reference:
1. “Types of Barley.” The Whole Grains Council.
2. “Pearl Barley.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 July 2021.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Barley grains” By National Institute of Korean Language (CC BY-SA 2.0 kr) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Grains of barley” (CC0) via Pixahive
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