Barley is one of the oldest cereals known to mankind. It is estimated that 10 000 years ago, the inhabitants of the deserts of southwestern Asia had fed themselves and their animals barley grains. Some of the more recent studies show that barley has appeared for the first time in Southeast Asia or in the mountainous regions of what is today Ethiopia. Barley is rich in valuable vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6 and B9) and minerals – magnesium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. Barley is rich in amino acids, especially lysine. 100 g of barley contain 354 kcal, 9.45% water, 17.3 g fiber, 0.8 g of sugar, 2.3 g fat, 12.5 g protein, 73.5 g carbohydrate and 0 mg cholesterol.