(おおむぎ)

おおむぎ
noun
barley
foodplant-general
1. barley
A cereal grain (Hordeum vulgare) widely cultivated for food and brewing. In Japan, barley is used to make mugicha (barley tea), shochu, miso, and various foods.
Barley tea is made from barley.
Barley cultivation is thriving in this region.
Barley is said to be healthy because it is rich in dietary fiber.

Similar words

大麦(おおむぎ) (barley) vs 小麦(こむぎ) (wheat): Despite the names using (おお) (big) and () (small), the distinction is not about size. 大麦(おおむぎ) is barley and 小麦(こむぎ) is wheat — two different grains. (むぎ) alone is a general term for cereal grains.

Common collocations

Cultural note

Barley has been cultivated in Japan since ancient times. It is a key ingredient in 麦茶(むぎちゃ) (barley tea, a staple summer drink), (むぎ)みそ (barley miso), and (むぎ)焼酎(しょうちゅう) (barley shochu).