Barley

The world’s largest producer of barley is Russia, so perhaps it’s no coincidence that this grain is very popular in the Baltic States. In Polish shops, you can buy both pearl barley, called pęczak, and pot barley or barley groats, confusingly called kasza jęczmienna; note that these are not interchangeable, so you’ll need to check the kind needed for your recipe. You can often find barley in health-food shops and the ‘whole foods’ section of some supermarkets.