In 1525, discovering the New World, Pizarro wrote in his journal, "They do not eat bread as we do, the maize they eat toasted and cooked, and that is their bread. They make wine in great quantity from the maize."
The Aztecs and the Incas boiled dried corn with lime which increased the protein value. In Egypt and Africa, the early use of corn as a staple led to 'corn disease' which resulted from a protein deficiency.
It is cornmeal, polenta, corn on/off
the cob. It is popped, boiled, roasted, turned into Bourbon, cooked in
soups and stews, and enjoyed alone when in season.
Today corn has been hybridized to
retain sweetness. Please don't salt the water when you boil corn. The
kernels on the new hybrids will toughen.
