Did you know that not all corn is the same? We typically speak about corn in general terms as if it were just one crop. However, there are many types of corn, grown for different uses and featuring different colors.
A little history
Corn is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago, from a single-stalked, grassy plant called teosinte, meaning "grain of the gods". Due to its popularity, it has become a staple food, with its total production surpassing that of wheat or rice. Grown by Native Americans well before the arrival of Europeans, corn has been part of the agricultural landscape, food traditions and culture of what is now the United States for millennia.
Remarkable and versatile
There are over 28,000 different varieties of corn conserved within the germplasm bank of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico City, the heart of corn diversity. While the diversity is immense, these are grouped into core categories based on the kernel structure which gives each corn unique culinary properties.
There are six major types of corn: flint, flour, dent, pop, sweet, and waxy. These corn types are defined by the shape of their kernel and the amount of hard or soft starch present in each kernel. Each type has different properties, nutrients, flavor, textural qualities and presents different ways to be used and consumed. And besides its several culinary applications, corn became part of everyday life as it is now infused into many industrial processes, biofuels, and animal feed.
America’s king
Everything about corn is big in the United States. Corn is the No.1 crop grown in the country, while America leads the world in production and consumption of this vital grain, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The United States produces 40%of the world’s corn supplies and accounts for more than half of world corn exports.
It is sometimes referred to as “yellow gold”, because it is used to make so many products, including food products: cereals, snack foods, salad dressings, soft drink sweeteners, chewing gum, peanut butter, taco shells, etc. Corn oil, valued for its bland flavor and light colour, is used primarily as a salad and frying oil because it contains little cholesterol.
And then there’s the application that made us just love corn as well: alcoholic beverages! Through fermentation corn produces gluten free and low sugar spirit options.
Corn or maize?
While the United States and a few other English-speaking countries use the word “corn” (meaning “small seed”), the rest of the world refers to this crop as “maize” or maíz.