For me, the word malt conures up associations with both familiar childhood pleasures and old-timey delicacies that I never experienced but that exist in my pop cultural memory; frequently enjoyed chocolate coated malt balls and sugary malted milk powders stirred into hot milk, or the malted milkshakes of bygone soda shops that I imagine I would have loved. If you have ever enjoyed anything featuring a malted flavour, the very word may evoke taste memories of its toasty, earthy, and sweet nature.
It’s true that many malted preparations and products include added dairy, excessive sugar, and other iffy ingredients that may not be as welcome in your present day eating habits. However, the great news is, you can enjoy that characteristic roasty flavour of this Food Find at home, customized to your preferences; pure Malt Powder is made with just one simple plant ingredient, malted barley.
Malt is derived from the process of “malting” grains, a time honoured technique dating back at least to Ancient Egyptian times. Malt is made from soaking grains in water, most often barley, until the grains sprout. Once the grains have sprouted, or germinated, they are either air or heat dried to halt the germination process, and this is the process known as “malting.” The germinating process releases various enzymes in the grain that break down starches into sugars, which gives malted grains and the resulting products that distinctive malted and naturally sweet flavour profile. The malted grains are ground into various types of preparations, from coarse meals to superfine powders, or transformed into liquids or syrups, and used in everything from drink mixes and desserts, to bread baking and beer brewing.
Pure or true malt powder, having barley or grain as its only ingredient, is completely plant based, meaning you can create your own malted delight at home with any kind of additions you prefer. As malt powder is naturally sweet, you can also control how much and what kind of additional sweetener you add to whatever you are making.
Where to find Malt Powder
Pure or true malt powder is a light blond powder with a superfine texture similar to icing sugar. It can be found at natural and health food stores, bulk food bins, and online specialty vendors. My most recent batch came from my local bulk food store, where I was able to check the ingredient label and make sure I was buying the pure powder.
Pure malt powder can be labeled in a variety of permutations, but will most often be found as “malt powder”, and the only ingredient should be listed as grain, or malted grain. Unless you are looking for it specifically, avoid “Malted Milk Powder,” which will contain added sugars, dairy products, fats or oils, and other additives.
How to use Malt Powder
I can happily report that homemade malted milk drinks, from comforting warm sips, to creamy iced delights, can be easily made using malt powder, which readily dissolves in liquids. I’ve recently been on a kick of enjoying a cup of Hot Malted Oat Milk before bedtime, and if you find that pleasing, you may also enjoy a cup of velvety Malted Hot Cacao.
If you have malt powder and want to craft your own creation, experiment with adding malt to other beverages, from your favourite coffee-based drinks to homemade milkshakes. As the flavour of malt powder, while distinctive, is relatively mild, and its inherent sweetness also relatively moderate, you can start by adding a few teaspoons or one tablespoon to whatever you are making as a starting point, without changing the flavour too much, adding more from there to increase the desired malty goodness and sweetness. If you are planning to use malt powder in a cold beverage, first dissolve the powder with a touch of hot water to ensure a lump free mix, before adding your cold liquid, or, make your beverage hot, let it cool to room temperature, and then add ice cubes or refrigerate until chilled.
Malt powder isn’t limited to enhancing homemade beverages, and those with a sweet tooth will find that malt is called for in various baking recipes from brownies to cookies. Now that I have pure malt powder in my pantry, I’m looking forward to experimenting with adding its earthy, plant based sweetness to recipes, from naturally sweetened banana breads, to fruit crumble toppings, amongst other ideas that I have cooking up inside my head.
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