Corn doesn’t get the justice it deserves.
I mean. I don’t think there’s ever been a corn craze.
Like the whole “kale” thing that hit the social media waves.
I think kale is gross. Bitter, bitter. It is like the Emperor’s clothes. People just started believing it was good because they were talked into it by the glitz of social media.
But back to good old corn.
It is a good vegetable, I’ll tell you.
In the summertime, it seems that corn grows in popularity. People love to pull over to roadside stands and buy fresh corn on the cob. By the way. The best way to cook it? I swear. Throw it in the microwave, in the husk, for four minutes. Wait a minute or two to shuck it. The stuff is like magic.
Anyway. Corn has been the world’s staple food for centuries. It was first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico over 7,000 years ago. It was cultivated by native communities long before European settlers arrived in the Americas.
Most of the times, it is served as a side dish. It is rich in many ways: Carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, Vitamins C and many Vitamin Bs. Despite being a such a good food, there is a lot about corn most people do not know.
Here are some of them.
1. Corn sweats. Oh yes, it does. And corn sweat can increase humidity levels by 30%.
To stay cool, corn plants produce water, which is often referred to as corn sweat. In large corn plantations, it is estimated that the sweat released by these plants can increase humidity levels by up to 30%. An acre of a corn plantation can release up to 3,000 gallons of moisture. Though beneficial, corn sweat is known to make heat waves more uncomfortable. Welcome to Ohio.
2. Sure. It gives off water, but a corn plant also needs water to grow. Like. 21 gallons to grow.
A single corn plant requires at least 21 gallons to grow to maturity. This translates to 2,300 gallons for every bushel of corn. As mentioned earlier, corn loses a lot of water through perspiration, so it needs to be watered regularly.
3. There are Thousands of Corn Varieties
Most people are only familiar with a couple of kinds of corn. Among them are sweet corn and popcorn, which are the two that I know. But others are well known (not to me) like dent corn, flour corn, and flint corn. But I have read that there are thousands of corn varieties in the world. For instance, Mexico’s International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center has about 28,000 unique corn collections. There are plenty more in other seed banks across the globe.
4. Popcorn Dates Back to the 16th Century
To many, popcorn seems like a modern snack. However, its history dates back to the 16th Century. The Aztec Indians used popcorn as a go-to meal for ceremonies and special occasions. This community loved popcorn so much that they created a dance for it. However, they prepared it slightly differently because they did not have microwaves and pans. The Aztecs threw the popcorn into burning coal or hot sand. I suppose they ate it where it dropped.
5. Corn is Man-Made
Now. How about that? Corn wasn’t made during those first seven days, it seems. It is man-made and was invented through selective breeding. According to scientists, a community living in central Mexico created the first corn plants from a wild grass species called teosinte. This means that there are no corn plants in the wild. If humans stopped growing corn today, it would be wiped out of existence.
So. There they are. A few corn facts to mill over while you are eating your cornflakes, cornbread, or corn casserole. And heaven knows I love a good corn casserole.
What do you call a piece of corn in the military?
A kernel.
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“Agriculture is our wisest pursuit because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness.” – Thomas Jefferson
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“I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow.” – David Hobson
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“Corn can’t expect justice from a court composed of chickens.” – African Proverb
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“I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.” – George Washington
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This might be corny because it is.
