The staple grain of Mesoamerican and, after the Columbian Exchange, much of world cuisine, known as corn in North American usage. Domesticated from the wild grass teosinte, it underlies the tortilla and tamale traditions of Mexican cuisine and, ground and processed with alkali (nixtamalization), was the nutritional base of pre-Columbian civilizations across the Americas.
Facts
Disputed
Earliest Documented Use, From (Year)Genetic and archaeobotanical studies converge on the Balsas River valley of southern Mexico as the domestication site, but estimates of the exact date range across roughly two millennia depending on method, so a range is given rather than a single year. Origin RegionThe Balsas River valley, southern Mexico 1 Maize
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Associated With
Expresses Tradition
Source On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the KitchenHarold McGee
Used By
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Source Nixtamalization (Wikipedia)
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Source A Taste of South African Barbecue (Smithsonian Magazine)Amanda Fiegl
The corn tortilla the meat is served on.
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Sources
1. The Oxford Companion to Food
Alan Davidson, Oxford University Press, 2014entry: Maize
maize Zea mays, one of the most important cereal crops in the world
- Used By: Mole Poblano
- Used By: Tacos al Pastor
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
Harold McGee, Scribner, 2004Expresses Tradition: Nixtamalization, ch. on cereal grains and pasta, maize
Larousse Gastronomique
Hamlyn, 2009- Used By: Mexican Cuisine, entry: Maize
- Used By: Peruvian Cuisine, entry: Maize
- Used By: Romanian Cuisine, entry: Maize
- Used By: Chilean Cuisine, entry: Maize
A Taste of South African Barbecue (Smithsonian Magazine)
Amanda Fiegl, Smithsonian Magazine, 2010Used By: South African CuisineView the Source Nixtamalization (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUsed By: Nixtamalization, Lead sectionQuote, Used By: Nixtamalization, Lead section
a process for the preparation of maize (corn), or other grain, in which the grain is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution.
Pupusa (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUsed By: Pupusa, Lead sectionQuote, Used By: Pupusa, Lead section
A pupusa is a thick griddle cake or flatbread from El Salvador and Honduras made with cornmeal or rice flour stuffed with one or more ingredients including cheese, beans, chicharron, or squash.
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