1. Difference in ear part. Before heading, the difference between highland barley and wheat is not big and it is not suitable to distinguish them. Once they are heading, the difference becomes quite big. First of all, from the perspective of wheat awns, the awns of highland barley are very long, almost the same length as ears of wheat, while the awns of wheat are relatively shorter. Looking at the heading, wheat only has one spikelet per node, and each spike has 2-3 flowers, but highland barley will branch, and each node will have 2-3 spikelets, and each spikelet usually has only one flower.

2. Fruit differences. After they mature, they can also be distinguished from their fruits. The ears of wheat are flat, with grains inside, wrapped in a husk. The fruits of highland barley have no shell, so they are also called naked barley and rice barley. In addition, the fruits of highland barley are a little green and the fruit is larger, while wheat is yellow. We can distinguish it from this aspect.

3. Differences in origin. Wheat is widely cultivated in the north and south of my country, especially in the north. It is a major food crop and is mainly used for grinding flour. Highland barley is mainly cultivated in alpine areas such as Tibetan areas, and is not widely eaten by people as wheat. It is mainly used for pasta and wine making. And as the yield of food crops becomes higher and higher, highland barley cultivation has now been stopped in many areas, and it is also fading out of our sight.

4. Differences in nutritional value. The main components of wheat are carbohydrates, fat, protein, crude fiber, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and niacin. The composition of highland barley is similar to that of wheat, but it is rich in β-glucan, which is 50 times the average content of wheat. It can reduce blood fat and cholesterol, prevent cardiovascular disease, prevent and treat diabetes by controlling blood sugar, and reduce intestinal inflammation. The contact between tract mucosa and carcinogens has the effect of indirectly inhibiting carcinogens.