Mochi mugi describes a waxy barley property, pearl barley describes pearling, and Japanese 押し麦 describes a pressed barley preparation. A product can fit more than one description, but these words are not one-to-one translations.
Which word describes the barley and which describes processing?
Read the package on two axes: first the barley's waxy or non-waxy type, then the processing form. This is why “mochi mugi = pearl barley” and “pearl barley = 押し麦” are both too simple.
| Axis | Term on a package | Concrete meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Barley property | mochi mugi / waxy barley | A waxy (もち性) type of barley; this word is not a polishing step. |
| Polishing | pearl barley / 精白大麦 | Outer hull and some or all of the bran layers have been removed by polishing. |
| Pressing | 押し麦 / pressed barley | The Japanese processing description: hull removal, steam heating and pressing flat; it is not a synonym for waxy barley. |
What does waxy barley mean for starch and texture?
Daishimochi is a waxy barley cultivar with little amylose, one of the components of starch. A cultivar sheet published on Japan's agriculture ministry website describes its chewy, mochi-like texture after cooking. Here, waxy describes a starch property, not a grain that has been pressed flat.
How are pressed barley and pearl barley different?
MAFF explains that six-row barley is pearled and processed into forms including 押し麦, 丸麦 and 米粒麦. A Hokuriku MAFF sheet describes 押し麦 as removing the hull, steam-heating the grain and pressing it flat, while Whole Grains Council describes pearl barley as polishing away the hull and some or all of the bran. These are processing descriptions; a product can also be waxy, but the words are not synonyms.