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Zea mays subsp. Indurata var. Glass gem corn


Order: Poales;
Family: Poaceae;
Genus: Zea;
Species and synonyms: Corn, Maize (Zea mays).

GBIF: Zea mays L.

The corn symbol in Unicode — 🌽

Corn is an annual herbaceous cultivated plant, the only cultivated representative of the genus Zea. It ranks third in popularity after wheat and rice. In addition to cultivated corn, the genus Zea includes four species — Zea diploperennis, Zea perennis, Zea luxurians, Zea nicaraguensis — and three wild subspecies of Zea mays: ssp. parviglumis, ssp. mexicana and ssp. huehuetenangensis. It is believed that many of these taxa played a role in the breeding of cultivated corn in ancient Mexico.

Today, there are more than 12,000 corn varieties, which are divided into several main groups, differing in the structure and morphology of the grain:

• Waxy (lat. Zea mays subsp. Ceratina, Georgian ცვილა სიმინდი);
• Dent (lat. Zea mays subsp. Indentata, Georgian კბილა სიმინდი);
• Floury (lat. Zea mays subsp. Amylacea, Georgian რბილი სიმინდი);
• Floury-sweet (lat. Zea mays subsp. Amyleosaccharata, Georgian რბილ-ტკბილი სიმინდი);
• Flint (lat. Zea mays subsp. Indurata, Georgian კაჟა სიმინდი);
• Popcorn (lat. Zea mays subsp. Everta, Georgian ბუშტარა სიმინდი);
• Pod (lat. Zea mays subsp. Tunicata, Georgian კილიანი სიმინდი);
• Semi-dent (lat. Zea mays subsp. Semidentata, Georgian ნახევარკბილა სიმინდი);
• Sweet (lat. Zea mays subsp. Saccharata, Georgian ტკბილი სიმინდი).

SOME GEORGIAN CORN VARIETIES ^{[1] [2]}

• Zea mays subsp. Indentata var. Flavorubra cv. Kartuli krugic (Georgian ქართული კრუგი);
• Zea mays subsp. Indurata var. Alba cv. Kazhovana tetri (Georgian კაჟოვანა თეთრი);
• Zea mays subsp. Indurata var. Vulgata cv. Galis tetri (Georgian გალის თეთრი);
• Zea mays subsp. Indurata var. Vulgata cv. Imeruli hibridi (Georgian იმერული ჰიბრიდი);
• Zea mays subsp. Indurata var. Vulgata cv. Kazhovana kviteli (Georgian კაჟოვანა ყვითელი);
• Zea mays subsp. Semidentata var. Aurantica cv. Abashuri kviteli (Georgian აბაშური ყვითელი);
• Zea mays subsp. Semidentata var. Aurantica cv. Lomtagora (Georgian ლომთაგორა);
• Zea mays subsp. Semidentata var. Candida cv. Ajametis tetri (Georgian აჯამეთის თეთრი);
• Zea mays subsp. Semidentata var. Candida cv. Gegutis kviteli (Georgian გეგუთის ყვითელი).

Corn was introduced into cultivation about 9,000 years ago in southern Mexico. Interestingly, corn cobs at that time were about 10 times smaller than modern varieties, not exceeding 3–4 cm in length. As long as corn was cultivated on small plots in the Mexican highlands, it remained fairly uniform genetically. However, from about the 15th century BC, corn cultivation began to spread rapidly across Mesoamerica. New conditions required new varieties. This necessity became a stimulus for intensive corn breeding, which resulted in an explosive growth of varietal diversity in the 12th–11th centuries BC. It was highly valued by the Olmec and Maya civilizations, which began to process it through nixtamalization and cultivate it using the "Three Sisters" method (planting squash, beans, and corn together on one field for green manure purposes).

The role of corn in American history is difficult to overestimate. It can be said with a high degree of probability that almost all Mesoamerican civilizations — the Olmec, Maya, Inca, Aztec, and others — owe their emergence and flourishing primarily to corn culture, because it was the basis of highly productive agriculture, without which a developed society could not have arisen. Almost all literate peoples of the Americas used the corn cob as the number 1. The special role of corn in the lives of the ancient Aztecs was well reflected in their religious system. In Aztec mythology, corn was given to the world by Quetzalcoatl himself — one of the main gods of the pantheons of many Central American civilizations. The goddess Chicomecóatl, sometimes called Xilonen and wife of Tezcatlipoca, was the goddess of agriculture, fertility, abundance, and the female embodiment of corn doubles. In midsummer, human sacrifices were made in her honor to appease her and ensure a good maize harvest. The male embodiment of corn doubles was the god Centeotl. He was traditionally depicted as a man with corn cobs in his backpack and hands, and sometimes with agricultural tools. Their sons made up the Cinteotl — a group of minor corn gods. Their names: Iztāc-Cinteōtl (white corn); Tlatlauhca-Cinteōtl (red corn); Cozauhca-Cinteōtl (yellow corn); Yayauhca-Cinteōtl (black corn).


NIXTAMALIZATION

When Europeans discovered the New World, they appreciated the merits of corn and transported it to their homeland. Immediately after Columbus's arrival in 1494, the crop spread widely across the continent, and in 1533 the cereal reached India, by 1555 — China. By the 1570s, corn reached the Alpine regions of Italy — this completed the journey of the Caribbean, heat-loving corn variety brought by Columbus. Today it is called flint corn. In parallel, a North American variety, more resistant to cold, was brought to Europe and successfully established itself in Northern Europe. In the Russian Empire, the cereal penetrated relatively slowly, settling mainly in the national outskirts. Appearing in the early 17th century (1633–1650 (Javakhishvili, 1987)) in modern Georgia, from there through the Ottomans and/or Bulgaria, corn reached Wallachia (southern Romania) and Bessarabia (Moldova and Ukraine), and only after their annexation, at the end of the 18th century, did it reach Russia.

Thus, in less than a century, corn conquered Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, which by the standards of agriculture of that time was enormous speed. However, the population that consumed it did not know or did not want to know about nixtamalization (from Aztec nextli "ash" and tamalli "dough") — the key process in corn processing. As a result, where corn was the staple food, people began to suffer from pellagra and kwashiorkor — serious diseases accompanied by diarrhea, skin rashes, ulcers, as well as the development of dementia and other symptoms of hydrocachexia. Today it is known that the true cause of the diseases was the lack of knowledge of how to properly transform corn from a satisfying but simple source of carbohydrates into a significantly more complete source of nutrients. In corn, these substances are in forms that cannot be easily absorbed by humans, and it was nixtamalization that made it possible to turn corn into the basis of the diet of millions of people first in ancient America, and then around the world. It consists of cooking corn kernels in an alkaline solution of water and wood ash or water and slaked lime ^[?]. After cooking, the product is washed several times, losing its outer shell and excess alkali. The result is a porridge called nixtamal. Soft dough for flatbreads is subsequently made from it. This process not only releases nutrients but also makes corn much tastier. It increases calcium content and allows the body to absorb niacin, also known as vitamin B3 (PP), similar in structure and pharmaceutical action to nicotinic acid. This is a coenzyme necessary for the normal functioning of other enzymes and helps convert food into energy, produce fats and cholesterol, create and repair DNA, and perform many other vital tasks. The downside of nixtamalization is the significant increase in the cost of the final product, as the same wood ash is required in about the same amount as corn. And probably for this purpose, the ancient rulers of Mesoamerica tightly connected their religions and cults with corn culture to stimulate the correct processing practices among the population. Thus, nixtamalization:

• improves the smell, taste, and color of products;
• increases the bioavailability of vitamin B3 (PP, niacin), reducing the risk of many diseases such as pellagra and kwashiorkor;
• increases calcium intake due to its absorption by the grain;
• increases the content of resistant starch, which serves as a source of dietary fiber;
• significantly reduces the content of mycotoxins in products, such as fumonisins and aflatoxins;
• increases the bioavailability of iron, reducing the risk of anemia;
• reduces microbiological activity, increasing the shelf life of products;
• reduces phytic acid content, improving the absorption of micro- and macroelements.

Currently, nixtamalization is widely used in preparing corn for grinding, especially in Central American countries and the USA. A more modern, economical, and efficient method is used — enzymatic nixtamalization. Corn or corn flour is first partially hydrated in hot water to allow enzymes to penetrate the grain, and then soaked for 30 minutes at 50–60 °C in an alkaline solution containing protease enzymes. This technological process is borrowed from another process "Corn wet-milling," by which corn is separated into components such as oil, protein, starch, fructose, fiber, etc.

Calcium hydroxide. In the food industry, calcium hydroxide (slaked lime, Ca(OH)₂, food additive E526) is used quite widely, both in the processing process and in finished products. In the sugar industry — for purifying sugar solution and obtaining white sugar crystals. In beverage production — for obtaining transparent juices and other beverages from natural raw materials. In pickled / preserved products to preserve their texture and clarity. In the preparation of Chinese preserved eggs. Calcium supplementation in beverages and infant formula. For absorbing carbon dioxide. As an analogue of baking powder or as an ingredient. In corn processing (nixtamalization) to facilitate the removal / softening of the seed coat.

Nixtamalization at home

Using calcium hydroxide:

1. Weigh the corn kernels on a kitchen scale and record the weight.
2. Measure out calcium hydroxide so that its weight is 1% of the corn weight.
3. Pour the corn into a large pot and cover it with water about 5 cm above the corn level (at least).
4. Bring the water to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes.
5. Add the calcium hydroxide and stir to prevent lumps. The corn will immediately start to smell like fresh tortillas.
6. Boil for about 30 minutes, then take out a kernel and press it with a fork to check softness.
7. When the corn is soft enough to be pressed through with a fork, cover the pot with a lid, turn off the heat, and leave for about 12 hours.
8. After 12 hours, strain the corn through a sieve and rinse thoroughly to remove any remaining lime solution.
9. Rub the corn in your palms to remove the hulls, which at this stage should be soft and almost mucus-like. After removing the hulls, you will have clean nixtamal (hominy), ready to use as you wish.

Using wood ash:

1. Burn a large bundle of hardwood in an oven or campfire, such as oak (be sure to clean it thoroughly beforehand and do not burn anything that should not end up in your food).
2. After the fire has burned out, collect the ash and sift it through a sieve to obtain a fine powder of ash (larger pieces are not needed).
3. Measure the corn by cups, put it in a large pot, and cover it with water about 5 cm above the corn level (at least).
4. Measure an equal volume of ash to corn (for a cup of corn, use a cup of ash).
5. Bring the corn to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes.
6. Add the ash (be careful not to spill).
7. Boil for about 30 minutes, then take out a kernel and press it with a fork to check softness.
8. When the corn is soft enough to be pressed through with a fork, cover the pot with a lid, turn off the heat, and leave for about 12 hours.
9. After 12 hours, strain the corn through a sieve and rinse thoroughly to remove any remaining lime solution.
10. Rub the corn in your palms to remove the hulls, which at this stage should be soft and almost mucus-like. After removing the hulls, you will have clean nixtamal with a wonderful corn-smoky aroma, ready to use as you wish.

Etymological notes on mamaliga

One of the most popular dishes made from corn flour in Abkhaz and Georgian cuisines is mamaliga (Abkh. abysta), in Georgian called ghomi (ღომი). The same name is also used for another type of cereal gomi. It is still widely used, but since the appearance of corn, more as a fodder crop.

Notably, mamaliga in English is hominy. The first known mention of the word in English was recorded in 1629, and its etymology is derived from the Powhatan language of North American Indians from uskatahomen — baked corn.

The Russian word "mamalyga" according to the ESBE: "Mamalyga or Malay is an ancient Zaporozhian dish made from millet flour mixed with water; on fast days it was eaten with salted cheese or brine cheese. The word mamalyga and the dish itself are Romanian. For Moldavians, mamalyga refers to flatbreads made from corn flour and cheese."

According to the Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language by M. Vasmer: "mamalyga — thick porridge made from corn flour, Ukrainian mamaliga. From Romanian mămăligă – same, usually associated with Italian malica, Venetian melega – sorghum, corn."

Mamaliga in Spanish is nixtamal. It comes from the Aztec nextli "ash" and tamalli "dough." Tamale (Spanish tamal, from Aztec tamalli) is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made from nixtamalized corn, steamed or boiled in corn or banana leaves.

Humita (Spanish humita, from Quechua humint'a, possibly from Quechua uma — head, adding the Spanish diminutive -ita) is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made from fresh, ground into paste corn, also steamed or boiled in corn or banana leaves. In Mexico, it is called uchepo.

Mamaliga in Italian is polenta. In Latin, polenta means porridge from any flour, but most often barley; the origin of the word is related to Latin pollen — "fine flour," "pollen" (common root with Latin pulvis — dust). The prototype of polenta is considered to be the ancient Roman porridge puls. Puls was made from barley, spelt, emmer, or chickpea (Arabic حُمُّص hummus). Further, "hum" is associated with Georgian ghomi without the case ending i. And mamaliga with mamluk (white mercenaries in Egypt, from Arabic mamlūk literally slave) and further mamaliga possibly food of slaves. At the same time, mameluc in Brazilian Portuguese is a descendant of whites and indigenous peoples.




SOURCES

^[1] DOIs registered by LEPL Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture at the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia.
^[2] Genetic Erosion of Ancient Crops in Georgia. Akhalkatsi 2012