Misconception

I am a curious man.

I like to watch T.V. programmes about things that are not strictly important in life, but I like to watch them nonetheless. I watch so much T.V. and read about such stuff that I know quite a bit of trivia.

Today I was watching another of these programmes, 'The Works' on History Channel and I realised something.

For a good part of my life I have enjoyed this delicious grain known to me as 薏米. As I got older I came to know it as barley. Since I could always get my orders in coffeeshops and eating places, I assume my fellow Singaporeans know it as the same thing.

Today, I realise I've got it wrong all along, and I cleared up quite a few things today.

It was mentioned in the programme that barley and malt are the main ingredients of beer. Though I know they are grains, I was never sure what the difference is. So I wiki-ed.

And to my horror, barley is not 薏米. Barley is 大麦. 薏米 is in fact something known as Coix Seed or Job's Tears. And while I am at it, 小麦 is wheat, 燕麦 is oat, and 麦芽 is malt.

Malt is what you get when grains are allowed to germinate in water.

No wonder I always felt that 薏米 doesn't look like the thing that made beer.