Create allergy card
← Browse ingredients

Pearl barley

Pearl barley is polished barley grain commonly simmered in soups, stews, pilafs, and grain dishes.

Pearl barley — illustrative ingredient image

About Pearl barley

Pearl barley is barley grain whose outer hull and much of the bran have been removed by polishing. It is commonly simmered in soups, stews, and broths, or cooked separately for pilafs, salads, and other grain dishes. The degree of polishing can vary among products sold under this name.

The dry grains are small, pale, rounded, and typically sold dry. Their flavour is mild and slightly nutty. When cooked, pearl barley becomes tender while retaining a gently chewy centre, although added liquid and cooking method influence the final consistency.

Pearl barley is sold as dry polished grain. Simmering softens and plumps the grains, while releasing starches can thicken surrounding liquid. Cooked grains may remain separate for pilafs or salads, or become softer in soups, stews, and broths; the product’s polishing level also affects texture.

Ingredient type
whole food

FOLLOW IT TO THE PLATE

Where will you meet it?

Explore the dishes that use this ingredient and their country and cuisine connections.

Explore linked dishes

ON A MENU OR LABEL

Find local names and written forms to help recognise this ingredient.

See local names

Where pearl barley appears

5 linked foods

Find foods to recognise by country and type. Recipes and products vary; these are recorded ingredient connections.

Showing 1–5 of 5

Main dishes

Soups

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for pearl barley

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Pearl barley

English

Barley, pearl, boiled

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Barley, pearl, boiled, no added fat or salt

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Barley, pearl, raw

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Barley, pearl, uncooked

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Barley, pearled, cooked

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Barley, pearled, raw

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Pearl barley nutrition & diet

Pearl barley nutritional value

Barley, pearled, raw

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the recorded food form.

Calories
352kcal
Protein
9.9g
Carbs
77.7g
Fat
1.2g

Reference values for the specific food form shown. Other varieties, brands and preparations can differ.

Portions & preparation

Use the cooked or dry state specified by the reference, because simmering changes water content and serving volume. Pearl barley is polished, so it should not be substituted with hulled barley, barley flour, flakes, or malt. Soups, pilafs, and sweet preparations add ingredients that affect interpretation.

Compare the right form: Match polished pearl barley in the referenced dry or cooked state, including preparation method; do not substitute hulled barley, flakes, flour, or malt.

Diet considerations

Pearl barley is a plant-derived cereal grain and contains gluten-forming barley proteins. Compatibility changes with broth, butter, meat, dairy, sweeteners, or mixed dishes. Its carbohydrate pattern also depends on whether it is served as a cooked grain, thick soup ingredient, flour-based preparation, or part of a larger recipe.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically compatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically compatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    Depends on the version
  • Paleo
    Typically incompatible
  • Low-carb
    Depends on the version
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Vegetarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Keto · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Paleo · Typically incompatible
This profile falls outside the conventional paleo pattern used here (grains and pseudograins, legumes, dairy or refined sugar).
Low-carb · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: USDA FoodData Central — Barley, pearled, raw ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .