1. Differences in ears. The difference between highland barley and wheat is not big before heading, so it is not suitable to distinguish them. Once they are heading, the difference will be relatively big. First of all, from the perspective of wheat awns, the awns of highland barley are very long, almost the same as the length of wheat ears, 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 every spikelet usually has only one flower.

2. The difference between fruits. 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 all 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 the main 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.