Germinated grain (usually barley) dried for brewing or distilling; the process of making such grain. Essential ingredient in beer and whiskey production.
From Old English 'mealt,' related to 'meltan' (to melt). Germanic roots connect to the idea of softening grain through moisture and heat. The process name derives from the physical transformation of hard grain into something workable.
Malt represents one of humanity's oldest biotechnologies - tricking grain into starting to grow, then stopping the process at just the right moment to capture concentrated sugars. This ancient technique, essentially controlled germination, transforms humble barley into the foundation of civilization's favorite fermented beverages.
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