Maize Wikipedia. Not to be confused with Maze. Maize MAYZ Zea mays subsp. Spanish maz after Tanomahiz, also known as corn, is a large grain plant first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico1 about 1. The leafy stalk of the plant produces separate pollen and ovuliferousinflorescences or ears, which are fruits, yielding kernels or seeds. Maize has become a staple food in many parts of the world, with total production surpassing that of wheat or rice. However, not all of this maize is consumed directly by humans. Some of the maize production is used for corn ethanol, animal feed and other maize products, such as corn starch and corn syrup. The six major types of corn are dent corn, flint corn, pod corn, popcorn, flour corn, and sweet corn. History. Sorghum, also known as guinea corn, is a cereal grain that originated in Africa and is eaten throughout the world. It is especially valuable in. Chicken Mushroom Soup. Most historians believe maize was domesticated in the Tehuacan Valley of Mexico. Recent research in the early 2. Balsas River Valley of south central Mexico as the center of domestication. The Olmec and Maya cultivated maize in numerous varieties throughout Mesoamerica they cooked, ground and processed it through nixtamalization. It was believed that beginning about 2. BC, the crop spread through much of the Americas. Research of the 2. The region developed a trade network based on surplus and varieties of maize crops. An influential 2. Matsuoka et al. has demonstrated that, rather than the multiple independent domestications model, all maize arose from a single domestication in southern Mexico about 9,0. The study also demonstrated that the oldest surviving maize types are those of the Mexican highlands. Later, maize spread from this region over the Americas along two major paths. G%C3%A9noise-cornstarch-vs-potato-starch.jpg' alt='Corn Flour Vs Cornmeal' title='Corn Flour Vs Cornmeal' />This is consistent with a model based on the archaeological record suggesting that maize diversified in the highlands of Mexico before spreading to the lowlands. Archaeologist Dolores Piperno has said 5A large corpus of data indicates that it maize was dispersed into lower Central America by 7. BP 5. 60. 0 BC and had moved into the inter Andean valleys of Colombia between 7. BP 5. 00. 0 4. 00. BC.  Dolores Piperno, The Origins of Plant Cultivation and Domestication in the New World Tropics Patterns, Process, and New Developmentspage neededSince then, even earlier dates have been published. According to a genetic study by Embrapa, corn cultivation was introduced in South America from Mexico, in two great waves the first, more than 6. Andes. Evidence of cultivation in Peru has been found dating to about 6. The second wave, about 2. South America. 1. Before domestication, maize plants grew only small, 2. Many centuries of artificial selection by the indigenous people of the Americas resulted in the development of maize plants capable of growing several cobs per plant, which were usually several centimetresinches long each. Maize is the most widely grown grain crop throughout the Americas, with 3. United States in 2. Production table. Approximately 4. 0 of the crop1. Genetically modified maize made up 8. United States in 2. Columbian exchange. After the arrival of Europeans in 1. Spanish settlers consumed maize and explorers and traders carried it back to Europe and introduced it to other countries. Spanish settlers far preferred wheat bread to maize, cassava, or potatoes. Maize flour could not be substituted for wheat for communion bread, since in Christian belief only wheat could undergo transubstantiation and be transformed into the body of Christ. At another level, Spaniards worried that by eating indigenous foods, which they did not consider nutritious, they would weaken and risk turning into Indians. In the view of Europeans, it was the food they ate, even more than the environment in which they lived, that gave Amerindians and Spaniards both their distinctive physical characteristics and their characteristic personalities. Place a castiron corn bread stick mold pan in oven. Preheat oven to 400. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking. Despite these worries, Spaniards did consume maize. Archeological evidence from Florida sites indicate they cultivated it as well. Maize spread to the rest of the world because of its ability to grow in diverse climates. It was cultivated in Spain just a few decades after Columbuss voyages and then spread to Italy, West Africa and elsewhere. Sugar rich varieties called sweet corn are usually grown for human consumption as kernels, while field corn varieties are used for animal feed, various corn based human food uses including grinding into cornmeal or masa, pressing into corn oil, and fermentation and distillation into alcoholic beverages like bourbon whiskey, and as chemical feedstocks. Names. Many small male flowers make up the male inflorescence, called the tassel. The word maize derives from the Spanish form of the indigenous Tano word for the plant, mahiz. It is known by other names around the world. The word corn outside North America, Australia, and New Zealand refers to any cereal crop, its meaning understood to vary geographically to refer to the local staple. In the United States,1. Canada,2. 1 Australia, and New Zealand,2. Indian corn. 1. 9 Indian corn primarily means maize the staple grain of indigenous Americans, but can refer more specifically to multicolored flint corn used for decoration. In places outside North America, Australia, and New Zealand, corn often refers to maize in culinary contexts. The narrower meaning is usually indicated by some additional word, as in sweet corn, sweetcorn, corn on the cob, baby corn, the puffed confection known as popcorn and the breakfast cereal known as corn flakes. In Southern Africa, maize is commonly called mielie Afrikaans or mealie English,2. Portuguese word for maize, milho. Maize is preferred in formal, scientific, and international usage because it refers specifically to this one grain, unlike corn, which has a complex variety of meanings that vary by context and geographic region. Maize is used by agricultural bodies and research institutes such as the FAO and CSIRO. National agricultural and industry associations often include the word maize in their name even in English speaking countries where the local, informal word is something other than maize for example, the Maize Association of Australia, the Indian Maize Development Association, the Kenya Maize Consortium and Maize Breeders Network, the National Maize Association of Nigeria, the Zimbabwe Seed Maize Association. However, in commodities trading, corn consistently refers to maize and not other grains. Structure and physiology. The maize plant is often 3 m 1. The stem is commonly composed of 2. A leaf, which grows from each node, is generally 9 cm 4 in in width and 1. Ears develop above a few of the leaves in the midsection of the plant, between the stem and leaf sheath, elongating by around 3 millimetres 0. They are female inflorescences, tightly enveloped by several layers of ear leaves commonly called husks. Certain varieties of maize have been bred to produce many additional developed ears. These are the source of the baby corn used as a vegetable in Asian cuisine. The apex of the stem ends in the tassel, an inflorescence of male flowers. When the tassel is mature and conditions are suitably warm and dry, anthers on the tassel dehisce and release pollen. Maize pollen is anemophilous dispersed by wind, and because of its large settling velocity, most pollen falls within a few meters of the tassel. Elongated stigmas, called silks, emerge from the whorl of husk leaves at the end of the ear. They are often pale yellow and 1. At the end of each is a carpel, which may develop into a kernel if fertilized by a pollen grain. The pericarp of the fruit is fused with the seed coat referred to as caryopsis, typical of the grasses, and the entire kernel is often referred to as the seed. The cob is close to a multiple fruit in structure, except that the individual fruits the kernels never fuse into a single mass. What Are the Benefits of Eating Corn Meal Healthy Eating. Corn meal provides a rich source of dietary fiber, iron and phosphorus. Corn meal is made by grinding corn kernels into a coarse powder. Unlike flour made from wheat grains, corn meal does not contain gluten, so it makes for a safe cooking ingredient for those suffering from celiac disease or gluten intolerance, according to Colorado State University. Eating corn meal also offers some health benefits because it provides a source of essential nutrients. Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates account for most of the energy in cornmeal. Each cup contains 9. Corn meal contains dietary fiber, a beneficial carbohydrate. Fiber helps fill your stomach after a meal to keep you feeling satisfied and it helps soften your stool to prevent constipation. Each cup of cornmeal contains 8. This represents about 3. Linus Pauling Institute. Iron. Corn meal also benefits your health by boosting your iron intake. A cup of corn meal provides 4. NYU Langone Medical Center. Iron helps your red blood cells transport oxygen throughout your body, and also helps drive your metabolism by activating enzymes required for energy production. Iron also contributes to brain function it activates enzymes that you need make neurotransmitters, chemicals your brain cells rely on for communication. Phophorus. Eat corn meal as a source of phosphorus. Phosphorus helps make up your DNA, forms a component of your cell membranes and also contributes to bone mineral tissue. Your cells also use phosphorus to help activate or inactivate enzymes, so getting enough phosphorus also supports healthy enzyme function. A cup of corn meal contains 2. Linus Pauling Institute. Cooking With Corn Meal. Use corn meal in place of wheat flour in your baked foods finely ground corn meal yields baked goods with a smoother texture, while coarsely ground corn meal provides a crunchier texture. Use corn bread in sandwiches, as a side to healthy chili or soup, or use corn tortillas as an alternative to wheat tortillas for tacos or fajitas. Alternatively, cook coarsely ground corn meal in milk for a hot breakfast. About the Author. Sylvie Tremblay holds a Master of Science in molecular and cellular biology and has years of experience as a cancer researcher and neuroscientist. Based in Ontario, Canada, Tremblay is an experienced journalist and blogger specializing in nutrition, fitness, lifestyle, health and biotechnology, as well as real estate, agriculture and clean tech. Photo Credits. Cornmeal image by Kathy Burns Millyard from Fotolia.