Followed by FDA’s approval to propagate barley as a cholesterol-lowering fiber, it is reported to follow green tea trends in the US. Apparently, Tim Walter, owner of barley farms in South Dakota, who exports barley tea bags to Japan, is reported to debut barley tea to the American consumers, claiming that it would appeal American palates. Facts provide that barley tea is the summer beverage of Japan and is completely free of caffeine.
American consumers might like the new beverage for the sake of trying something out-of-the-box, irrespective of it being free of caffeine or without. It is not necessary that the Japanese summer beverage would appeal American consumers for the similar reasons.
American consumers go after flavor profiles much more than nutritional profile. As facts reported point out that barley tea has clean flavors straight out of the bag, Walter should think about flavor infusions for barley tea, before testing the tea in the market. This is the first tea made out of grains and therefore a comparison to green tea’s preferences might not be right at this moment, especially when the latter is backed with a strong nutritional background
Via: NY Times
