Several unrelated plants are commonly called hop, including bryony and black medick. The so-called hop plant is sweet marjoram. Hop must be grown in areas having an abundant rainfall during the growth period and abundant sunlight during the fruiting period. Only female plants produce fruit, but a few male plants are included in each hop field because fertilized catkins grow larger and more rapidly than unfertilized catkins. Hop plants are trained to, or guided by, strings suspended above the rows.
Catkins become aromatic in late summer and are then harvested.
MALT - Substance obtained by allowing grain, particularly barley, to soften in water and germinate. The enzyme diastase, developed during the germination process, catalyzes the hydrolysis of starch to the sugar maltose. Malt, processed by drying in a kiln and roasting, is used in brewing and distilling alcoholic beverages. It has a high protein and carbohydrate content and is used to add nutritive value to drinks. The first step in brewing, called malting, involves steeping the grain in water for several days until it begins to germinate, or sprout.