History of Sweet Corn

History of Corn


	Corn as we know it today would not exist if it weren't for the humans that cultivated and developed it. It is a human invention and a plant that does not exist naturally in the wild. It can only survive if planted and protected by humans. Scientists believe people living in central Mexico developed corn at least 7000 years ago. It was started from a wild grass called teosinte. Teosinte looked very different from our corn today. The kernels were small and were not placed close together like kernels on the husked ear of modern corn. Also known as maize, Indians throughout North and South America, eventually depended upon this crop for much of their food. Ears of corn have been found in caves in Mexico which date back to around 5000-6000 BC. For thousands of years various types of corn were grown in an area stretching from Chile and Brazil to southern Canada. Corn was a major component of the diet of the Aztec, Mayan, Inca and south American Indians and formed part of the group of three staple plant foods (corn, beans and squash - the three sisters) eaten by the Native Americans who believed that they had to be together or they would not grow.

	Corn is a tall cereal plant consisting of strong jointed stems supporting large ears containing kernels. Out of the different types of corn grown, sweet corn is one of the most popular varieties for human consumption.

	Sweet corn is a good source of vitamin A, magnesium, and potassium, and is often considered to be a vegetable, rather than a grain. This confusion is probably due to the fact that it is eaten fresh like a vegetable. When harvested at the proper ripeness, the kernels of sweet corn are tender and have a sweet, juicy taste.

	The three types of sweet corn that are readily available are white corn (white kernels), yellow corn (yellow kernels), and a hybrid of both white and yellow, often referred to as peaches and cream or butter and sugar corn. Sweet corn can be processed into syrup, sugars used as sweeteners in soft drinks, starch, and cereals.

	Did you know? Most scientists agree that it would take only three generations of neglect for corn to become extinct. (You won't let that happen will you?) At the same time, man in this hemisphere could not have survived without corn In many parts of the world the term 'corn' refers to the cereal 'maize', which is ground from the dried kernels of some of our varieties Corn is also used for cornmeal in polenta, for corn syrup (used in the USA in place of sugar from sugar cane), corn flour and corn oil Corn is also used to make starch and some types of whiskey Sweet corn has been bred to have higher levels of natural sugars - which makes it so popular.
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