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My lovely bride has deserted me, leaving town for a week and me without adult supervision. As is my custom, I made a pot of soup last night large enough to carry me through the weekend, at the rate of two bowls a day. This obviates the necessity of making any (further) decisions about what to eat.
In order to produce a lovely cauldron of vegetable-beef-barley soup, I bought a bag of barley at the local grocer's. I am accustomed to buying bags of barley labeled "pearl barley" but the one I bought last night bears the description "pearled barley." That got me to wondering, which is further evidence (as if any were needed) that I am a logophile. Why is it "pearl" on some bags and "pearled" on others?
I always thought that pearl barley was so-called because, when the hull (spikelet and bran) of the barley is removed (thus depriving the grain of much of its nutritional value -- iron, manganese, phosphorus, and thiamin) by milling, what is left is like a pearl (the oyster kind). Maybe.
But the process of removing the bran is called "pearling" which may be a back-construction. Maybe not.
Anyway, the soup is wonderfully good.
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Carpal Tunnel
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That's like music to my ears. Oh. You said baRley. nemmind.
TEd
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Ted, consider yourself raspberried.
Father Steve, I bet the pearl barley is the same kind of construction as "ice cream", which used to be "iced cream". You can see it happening with "ice tea" and "box set" (which I still call "iced tea"
and "boxed set", but you can't help some people....)
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Carpal Tunnel
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Quote:
Ted, consider yourself raspberried.
Father Steve, I bet the pearl barley is the same kind of construction as "ice cream", which used to be "iced cream". You can see it happening with "ice tea" and "box set" (which I still call "iced tea"
and "boxed set", but you can't help some people....)
It's called assimilation. It's also responsible for solecisms such as "a friend."
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journeyman
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journeyman
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Would I be correct in supposing that this barley is similar to pearl tapioca? (See second body paragraph.) If so, then the name most likely has had - at some point - something to do with the process. Specifically, this tapioca (or barley) has undergone the pearling process, so it can now be referred to as pearled to use the participle, and also pearl from describing its new shape. It's just a thought, and although it doesn't really sway the issue, it has made me quite hungry for some tapioca...and possibly some of your soup, Father!
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I don't believe pearled barley is the same type of thing as pearl tapioca. Pearled barley has been processed an extra step that removes the bran as well as the hull http://www.foodsubs.com/GrainBarley.html, but it still basically looks like a grain of barley. Tapioca starts out as a big root. The fibrous part is separated from the starchy parts, then the starch is converted into flakes or powder which is then formed into the pearl-sized round balls.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Augh--I still want to call you golden---but welcome back, anyway! 
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journeyman
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journeyman
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So I may not be up on my roots, but I'm glad to be back. Thanks, Jackie! 
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I may not be up on my roots Sounds like you've been forced to bend to some pretty strong winds, young sapling. (My kids used to play a video game where the trees got up on their roots and walked.)
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journeyman
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journeyman
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Sounds like you've been forced to bend to some pretty strong winds, young sapling.
Thankfully, no. But always glad for a pearl of wisdom from y'all!
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Pooh-Bah
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I remember a tapioca of large slimy blobs 3-4 mm). We have been unable to find it lately (that is, within the last 40 years) and wonder why. My gung-ho #1 Son insists that it is indeed still available (a man sure of almost everything he asserts) and has promised to find us some
My question is this: (a) Why are we unable to find it (be careful in your response because it reflects upon mate Laverne); (b)What is it called
dalehileman
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Carpal Tunnel
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Sending you a PM, Dale, since the site I found is commercial.
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dale, tapioca has undergone a sea change, no longer a slimey milk pudding type dessert, its now sold (all over NYC and lots of other places) as "bubble tea" a thick, sweet beverage made from tea, sugar, fruit juice and pearls of tapioca (the 'bubbles') served with a oversized straw that allows you to slurp up the pearls and viscous fluid together.
Personally, i dislike tea, (and think its wrong to adulterate good fruit juice with both tea and tapioca.)
it should be noted, the root that tapioca is made with, is naturally very high in cyinide, and tapioca is the result of grinding, washing, drying, cooking, drying (and then re-moistening and cooking again!) the root. all these processes are designed to make the roots safe for human consumption. why any one would choose to eat tapioca (when there are so many other choices available) is beyond me!
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Call me suicidal, but I love tapioca.
Last edited by inselpeter; 02/18/06 02:44 PM.
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Carpal Tunnel
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I use tapioca flour in a recipe for pão de queijo.
Completely different thang, I know.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Jackie: Thank you but what is a PM
Helen: Thank you kindly for that tidbit. If you drink it using a straw, I'm wondering if the bubbles form themselves so as to navigate tubing smaller than, say 3 mm. Us engineers think about stuff like that
Father: I didn't even know what pearled barely is. But Laverne, who is much smarter than I, says we eat it "all the time"
Gon: She says, however, it isn't big and slimy like the tapioca. OT but thank you for getting us started on it
Peter: me too; while I am delighted that my object is alive and well, is called "large pearl tapioca," and my No. 1 Son is dispatching us 5 lb
But why suicidal
dalehileman
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Dale, the NYTimes had an article last summer on bubble tea, and touched on the straws, and the size of the straw used to drink the tea.
Optimally the pearls of tapioca should be just slightly smaller than the straw.. they should be small enough to be sucked up the straw, but not so small that you get too many at one time.. (it was the engineering of the straws that intreigued me, too, since i have no interest in drinking the stuff.)
i suspect it was a sunday magazine food article (i am more likely to read them then the wednesday food section ones)
the NYTimes has made it harder to search their archive (for free) but most of the magazine is usually available.
tapioca is one of those love/hate foods. (and i have stated my view!) but it was still interesting to read about the 'bubble tea' fad.
(i hope i made it clear, the 'bubbles' aren't bubbles (of air) but the translucent pearls of tapioca suspended in the thickened, but still fluid beverage, that look like bubbles.
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Carpal Tunnel
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>the thickened, but still fluid beverage,
That'd be a borderline colloid. Also known as the dog of the hair.
TEd
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Helen, thank you. After we get it and we have guests over, we shall have it for desert, with a straw beside every plate
dalehileman
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Jackie: Thank you but what is a PM
private message... as in "you've got mail of the bulletin board kind".
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Yes--sorry, Dale--PM = Private Message. If you have any that you haven't opened, you should see a little envelope flashing beside your name near the top--click on that; or, you can click on My Home and get to them (to read one or just send one) there.
"bubble tea" a thick, sweet beverage made from tea, sugar, fruit juice and pearls of tapioca (the 'bubbles') served with a oversized straw that allows you to slurp up the pearls and viscous fluid together. I think that is about the most disgusting thing I have EVER heard about! [barf e] I wondered what all those sites referring to 'bubble tea' were about. I am a tapioca hater anyway, and the idea of this is just...horrible!
Dale, I think insel. joked about being suicidal because of Helen saying that tapioca root has a high concentration of cyanide.
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Quote:
>the thickened, but still fluid beverage,
That'd be a borderline colloid. Also known as the dog of the hair.
*snortle*
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