Barley

One of Denmark’s key cereals – Danish barley is brewed into beer, and pure yeast cultures were first bred in the Carlsberg laboratory.

Barley is an annual grass that has been cultivated for more than 10,000 years, making it one of the first domesticated cereals. Its ears bear long, rough awns, and the grain is rich in starch and fibre. Barley tolerates a cool climate and a short growing season well, so it has long been grown in northern Europe. Most of the harvest goes to animal feed, while grain of the best varieties is made into malt – the basic raw material for beer and whisky; barley is also turned into groats.

Significance in the country

Barley is one of Denmark’s most important crops and the basis of pig feed and the malting industry. In 1883, in the Copenhagen laboratory founded by Carlsberg, Emil Christian Hansen isolated a pure culture of brewer’s yeast, revolutionising brewing around the world.

Where it grows

Grown throughout the country, especially on the clay soils of Zealand, Funen, Lolland-Falster and eastern Jutland.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl)