Corn is one of the most abundant and popular cereals in the world, and also one of the most consumed. Yellow in color but also available in different shades of red, brown and orange, corn is currently the base of many cuisines, especially those of Latin America where the plant originates from, although it is also cultivated in Europe.
corn or Zea mays According to its scientific name, it is a grass plant, which means that it has a cylindrical stem and long, thick leaves, its height ranges from one meter to three meters high. Corn can also be popularly known as choclo (which would be specifically the fruit of the plant) or cob depending on the region of Latin America.
american origin
Corn has been the staple of the Latin American diet for centuries. With the arrival of Europeans in America in the 15th century, the plant was brought to the Old Continent where it immediately caught on as an accessible food for all social classes and also very nutritious. Although it is difficult to be able to specify in which area of America it may have arisen for the first time, it is considered that both the Aztecs and the Incas knew about it and used it a long time ago. Maize is currently the most produced cereal in the world, having surpassed other basic cereals and cultivated throughout the world such as wheat and rice. One of the largest current producers of this plant is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, Mexico, France and Argentina.
Undoubtedly one of the discoveries of the civilizations prior to the discovery of America has been corn and we owe it to them.
There are thousands of varieties of this plant, some easily identifiable by their coloration. Normally, the corn plant is quite tall, reaching eight feet in height. The fruit, or corn, is protected and covered by thick green leaves that together form the chala. The way they develop keeps them always attached to the stem, so to discover the corn you have to pluck one by one, cutting them at the base. Frost and other climatic factors can easily destroy a corn plantation, a plant native to warm and almost tropical climates.
Use in gastronomy and main nutritional contributions of corn
As we pointed out lines above, corn has a very widespread use in gastronomy as part of various culinary preparations such as stews, creams, tamales, salads and desserts, among others, but it is also very common for people to eat it directly after boiling it. . Its sweet taste, when the corn is really ready and good, turns out to be its most characteristic hallmark and also the secret of its success.
Regarding its nutritional contributions, which undoubtedly deserve a separate paragraph because there are many, we must say that it is one of the most complete cereals in this sense. It has and provides us with its consumption, mainly, vitamins A, B and E, as well as many minerals (copper, iron, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus), all agreeing to favor our metabolism and health, especially in the proper development of the system central nervous.
Vitamin A helps in the proper functioning of the eyesight and the youth of the skin
It is also recognized to be a very important source of antioxidants, preventing the production of free radicals, the main producers of cancer diseases. Many corn compounds were used opportunely to fight tumors. If it is cooked, these properties are increased, for example, it is a fact to take into account when consuming it.
Other fundamental contributions that its composition has are proteins and fiber, which protects and favors the proper functioning of our digestive system and reduces cholesterol and glucose levels in our body.
Just as it helps prevent and fight cancer of various kinds, it is also very good for reducing high blood pressure levels and reducing the effects of diabetes.
It is also recommended in pregnancy because it helps in the consistent growth of the fetus.
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