![Malt syrup](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Malt_syrup.jpg)
Barley malt syrup is an
unrefined sweetener
This list of unrefined sweeteners includes all natural, unrefined, or low-processed sweeteners.
Sweeteners are usually made from the fruit or sap of plants, but can also be made from any other part of the plant, or all of it. Some sweeteners are ...
, processed by extraction from
sprouted,
malted
Malting is the process of steeping, germinating and drying grain to convert it into malt. The malt is mainly used for brewing or whisky making, but can also be used to make malt vinegar or malt extract. Various grains are used for malting, mo ...
,
barley
Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley pr ...
.
Barley malt syrup contains approximately 65 percent
maltose
}
Maltose ( or ), also known as maltobiose or malt sugar, is a disaccharide formed from two units of glucose joined with an α(1→4) bond. In the isomer isomaltose, the two glucose molecules are joined with an α(1→6) bond. Maltose is the two- ...
, 30 percent
complex carbohydrates
In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may or may ...
, and 3 percent
storage protein (
prolamin
Prolamins are a group of plant storage proteins having a high proline amino acid content. They are found in plants, mainly in the seeds of cereal grains such as wheat (gliadin), barley (hordein), rye ( secalin), corn (zein), sorghum ( kafirin) ...
glycoprotein
Glycoproteins are proteins which contain oligosaccharide chains covalently attached to amino acid side-chains. The carbohydrate is attached to the protein in a cotranslational or posttranslational modification. This process is known as glycos ...
). Malt syrup is dark brown, thick, sticky, and possesses a strong distinctive flavor described as "malty". It is about half as sweet as refined
white sugar
White sugar, also called table sugar, granulated sugar, or regular sugar, is a commonly used type of sugar, made either of beet sugar or cane sugar, which has undergone a refining process.
Description
The refining process completely removes t ...
. Barley malt syrup is sometimes used in combination with other natural sweeteners to lend a malt flavor. Also called "barley malt extract" (or just malt syrup), barley malt syrup is made from malted barley, though there are instances of mislabeling where merchants use other grains or corn syrup in production.
Barley malt syrup is also sold in powdered form. Barley malt extract is used in the bread and baked good industry for browning and flavoring, and in cereal manufacture to add malt flavor.
Adding barley malt syrup to yeast dough increases fermentation as a result of the enzymes in the malt, thus quickening the proofing process.
Barley malt syrup has a long history, and was one of the primary sweeteners (along with honey) in use in China in the years 1000 BCE – 1000 CE.
Qimin Yaoshu
The ''Qimin Yaoshu'' is the most completely preserved of the ancient Chinese agricultural texts, and was written by the Northern Wei Dynasty official Jia Sixie.Wenhua Li, 200Agro-Ecological Farming Systems in ChinaTaylor & Francis, p. 26 -27 Th ...
, a classic 6th century Chinese text, contains notes on the extraction of malt syrup and maltose from common household grains. Barley malt syrup continues to be used in traditional Chinese sweets, such as
Chinese cotton candy.
Sugar rationing in the US led to the first commercial malt syrup production in the 1920s, to deal with sugar shortages.
Malt loaf
Malt loaf is a type of sweet leavened bread made with malt extract as a primary ingredient. It has a chewy texture and often contains raisins. It is usually eaten sliced and spread with butter for tea. Malt flour is sometimes used to supplemen ...
is another product that makes use of barley malt syrup.
See also
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Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer by steeping a starch source (commonly cereal grains, the most popular of which is barley) in water and #Fermenting, fermenting the resulting sweet liquid with Yeast#Beer, yeast. It may be done in a brewery ...
*
List of syrups
*
List of unrefined sweeteners
This list of unrefined sweeteners includes all natural, unrefined, or low-processed sweeteners.
Sweeteners are usually made from the fruit or sap of plants, but can also be made from any other part of the plant, or all of it. Some sweeteners are ...
*
Malted milk
Malted milk or malt powder is a powdered gruel made from a mixture of malted barley, wheat flour, and evaporated whole milk powder. The powder is used to add its distinctive flavor to beverages and other foods, but it is also used in bakin ...
References
External links
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Malt syrup
Barley malt syrup is an unrefined sweetener, processed by extraction from sprouted, malted, barley.
Barley malt syrup contains approximately 65 percent maltose, 30 percent complex carbohydrates, and 3 percent storage protein (prolamin glycopro ...
Syrup
Sugar substitutes
Malt
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