Corn (Zea mays)
LITTLE CORNY
Baby corn is just sweet corn picked in its “infancy”.
What’s the Story?
There are five principal classes of corn: dent or field corn, flint corn, pop or Indian corn, flour corn and sweet corn. Dent is the predominant type grown throughout the world. Sweet corn is the common “corn on the cob” that we eat today.
A Serving of Food Lore …
Archaeological studies indicate that corn was cultivated in the Americas at least 5,600 years ago. Corn, also known as maize, was domesticated in Mesoamerica, which in pre-Columbian cultures included southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, western Honduras and parts of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Corn spread to the rest of the world after Spaniards came to the Americas in the late fifteenth century and early sixteenth century. Today, there are over 600 food and nonfood products made from corn.
Where Is Corn Grown?
The United States is by far the largest producer of corn, accounting for 40 per cent of world production, followed by Canada, China, Brazil and many other nations. The “Corn Belt” includes the states of Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas and Kentucky, with the first four states accounting for over 50 per cent of corn production in the United States. About 75 per cent of corn produced in the United States is fed to livestock.
Why Should I Eat Corn?
Corn is a good source of fibre, vitamin B1, folate, vitamin C, and pantothenic acid. Corn contains the phytochemicals beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, saponins, alkaloids, sitosterol, stigmasterol, malic acid, palmitic acid, tartaric acid, oxalic acid and maizenic acid, which have heart health and cancer-fighting properties.
Home Remedies
The entire corn plant has long been used in Native American cultures for medicinal purposes. Cornsilk is a well-studied tea that has diuretic properties, and, accordingly, has been used for difficult, painful or frequent urination. Cornmeal boiled with milk has been applied to burns, inflammations and swellings. Cornflour, applied as a powder, may soothe chafing. Cornmeal mixed with castor or corn oil has been used to relieve skin irritations. In Chinese traditional medicine, corn has been used for gallstones, jaundice, hepatitis and cirrhosis. The cobs stripped of the fruit have been used to treat nosebleeds and unusual uterine bleeding. The hulls have been used to treat diarrhoea in children.
Throw Me a Lifesaver!
HEART HEALTH: Corn is high in folate, a vitamin known to reduce homocysteine, an inflammatory marker attributed to heart disease.
LUNG CANCER: Corn is rich in beta-cryptoxanthin, an orange-red carotenoid that may significantly lower the risk of developing lung cancer. One study evaluated the diet of 63,257 adults in Shanghai, China, finding that those who ate the most cryptoxanthin-rich foods had a 27 per cent reduction in lung cancer risk. Smokers who ate the cryptoxanthin-rich foods were found to have a 37 per cent reduction in risk compared to those who didn’t eat them.
COLON CANCER: Corn is very high in phenolic compounds that may help in preventing colon cancer and other digestive cancers. Corn is also high in resistant starch that helps promote butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid found in the colon that may be beneficial in fighting colon cancer.
DIABETES: Cornflour, a component of corn, was shown to improve glucose metabolism in normal and overweight women.
Tips on Using Corn
SELECTION AND STORAGE:
• Corn kernels come fresh, frozen, tinned and tinned creamed.
• Avoid ears of corn with shrivelled husks that look burned or have a dark-coloured slime in the tassel.
• Leave the husks on and place corn, uncovered, in the refrigerator. Use within a few days for best quality.
PREPARATION AND SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
• Fresh corn can be boiled, steamed, microwaved or roasted on the grill or in the oven.
• Enjoy cold in salads.
• Use polenta (the Italian word for cornmeal) as a pizza crust for a healthy pizza.
• Use resistant cornstarch to replace up to 25 per cent of flour to increase fibre content of your baked goods.
Adapted from The Gathering Place by Graham Kerr
Servings: 6 • Prep and cooking time: 60 minutes
This recipe contains five powerhouse foods.
INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
8oz/200g onion, finely chopped
6 ears of corn, kernels shaved off the cob (substitute frozen corn if unavailable)
½ teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon parsley stalks, finely diced
¼ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
12floz/350ml evaporated skimmed milk
16floz/500ml soy milk
2 tablespoons cornflour
4 tablespoons dry white wine
GARNISH:
3oz/75g Canadian or veggie bacon, chopped
2½oz/60g red bell pepper, finely diced
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and 3oz/85g of the corn kernels until very soft, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add thyme, parsley, salt and pepper. Transfer onion mixture to blender and add 4floz/125ml evaporated milk. Puree mixture for two minutes. Add remaining evaporated milk and blend for another three minutes or until smooth. Return to saucepan along with remaining corn. Rinse the blender with soy milk to pick up any ingredients left behind. Add to saucepan with corn. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Combine the cornflour with the wine, remove soup from heat and stir in the cornflour/wine liquid until the soup thickens. Sauté bacon, pepper and parsley over medium heat for three minutes. Set aside. Serve chowder in warmed bowls and top with 1 tablespoon of garnish.
BREAK IT DOWN …
Calories: 240; Total fat: 5g; Saturated fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 10mg; Sodium: 550mg; Total carbs: 39g; Fibre: 3g; Sugar: 13g; Protein: 12g.