Is malted barley considered a wheat?

So I'm trying to figure out if barley is in the wheat family. Everything I read points in the direction that it is considered a cereal wheat. Can anyone shed light on this?

Barley is not a wheat. It's a cereal *grass*, but not a cereal *wheat*.

They're different species (Hordeum Vulgare vs Triticum Annuum), each in a different genus (Hordeum vs Triticum). They are in the same family, Poaceae, and the same tribe, Triticeae within that family.

I'm guessing you're asking due to gluten concerns? Wheat, Rye, and Barley all contain gluten, although wheat has much more than the others.

Barley and wheat are both cereal grains, but barley is not a type of wheat. Einkorn, emmer, spelt, durum and bread wheats are the major types of wheat. Barley is in a different genus (_Hordeum_) than wheat (_Triticum_).

[Edit: But, as QuercusMax mentions, they are in the same Family (and Subfamily) along with rye and oats. Corn and rice are also in the same Family, but not the same Subfamily, as wheat and barley.]

Chris Colby
Editor
beerandwinejournal.com