Corn Corn originated in South America - as did many other interesting plants like tomatoes, capsicums, potatoes and chocolate.

Botanical Family Corn, or maize, is a sturdy plant which belongs to the Gramineae or grass family. This is the same botanical family as barley and sugar cane. Corn requires a reasonably warm climate to grow, and there are 5 different types of corn, depending on the shape and look of the kernels.   History Corn originated in South America, in the highlands of Mexico. Like so many other plants, Christopher Columbus introduced it to Europe after he discovered America. Corn has several different names. Maize derived from the south american word Mays, and it is also called polenta in some places. Because of the many varieties of corn, in the 16th century it was sometimes confused with buckwheat. It has long been used to brew an alcohol, and even today in Peru, red corn is used to make a beer, 'chica', which is spiced with cloves. Some varieties are grown for fodder, but it is used more and more widely as a human source of food as well. Apart from sweet corn which is cooked as a vegetable, and popcorn - the variety which explodes when heated - the flour is used to make polenta and for making bread. It is also used as an oil-producing plant.   Food Value Polenta meal is an easily digested food. It is highly nutritious, but suffers from bad publicity, because it lacks nicotinic acid. It was once common for the poor to eat only cereal foods,and they often suffered from Pellagra - a nicotinic acid deficiency disease. However, corn is a rich source of vitamin A and some B vitamins. It is also a very good source of carbohydrates and protein.   Search our recipe database for corn.

Bibliography Bianchini, F; Corbetta, F; et al. The Complete Book of Fruits and Vegetables [English Translation] (New York: Crown, 1976)