Indian Corn... Why Pilgrims Starved... and Indians Grew Fat!
The Spanish discovery of Indian corn had a huge impact on feeding the world. But the racial prejudice of English settlers missed the mark.
In 1492 wheat was the mainstay food of Europe, Asia and Africa. It was the “King of the Mountain." But that changed in 1493. The hand on the left is the yield from one kernel of corn seed.
When Columbus returned from his first voyage he told his stories before the Spanish court about the land of the “Arawaks”. He told about the Arawaks piles of grain from which they made a cake-meal. He described the grain as having tapered ears longer then his hand, thicker then his wrist, with long rows the size of a pea. He spoke about how the black seeds when cooked, split open to create a tasty white fluff. He said the Arawaks called this strange grass plant “mahiz”.
Corn was non-existent in the rest of the world until Columbus saw it in the West Indies. Its productivity capabilities and ease of growing caught the world’s attention. Back then, wheat produced 15 to 20 kernels per head while corn produced 400 kernels per head.
The hand on the left is the yield from one barley seed.
By the year 1515 this maize seed had spread like fire through Europe, Middle East, China and Africa. The exploring ships of the Spanish and Portuguese introduced maize seed to the rest of the world.
The British inhabitants of the New World called the wheat from Europe "corn".The English term “corn” means a particle or grain of. So to differentiate wheat,they called the North American maize "Indian Corn".
The British colonists were introduced to corn 30 years before they arrived at Plymouth Rock. Corn came to the English from introduced Spanish sources in Turkey. In fact it was called Turkey Wheat. This Turkey Wheat was considered inferior to barley, rye, oats and wheat because it seemed incomplete in nourishment.
The pompous attitude of the English settlers created ignorance. They scoffed at the savages for
preferring the inferior corn as food. And the Indians were horrified at watching the settlers feed corn to their livestock instead of eating it. Picture on right of an Iroquois wooden mixing bowl for corn mush
In Europe it was discovered that peasants who lived on corn during the winter got “corn sickness”. They developed raw rashes and sores, their joints and muscles ached and they became dizzy and nervous… sometimes ending in insanity. This continued to happen until 1930’s! As a result of this observed sickness, it made Europeans believe that corn was not nutritious.
In the Twentieth Century, scientist discovered that three amino acids crucial for the human cells to process energy where missing in corn. They are niacin, tryptophan and lysine. If corn was consumed with beans the niacin problem didn't exist. But the Indians did not rely on beans!
The Indians discovered how to unlock the nutritional value of corn by a process called an "ash bath". They would boil the corn in water with wood ash… this ash bath removed the corn hull making it digestible. The alkali in the wood ash released the locked in tryptophan and lysine acids, which in turn allowed the body to make niacin.
Another option was to add wood ash or finely mixed lime into the corn meal and bake. The different wood ash not only made the corn nutritious but different woods... added different flavours! (Left photo of a stone pestle used to pound corn & ash together)
While the rest of the world got physically sick on a steady diet of corn, the First Nations of North America thrived. I find it interesting that sophisticated Europe missed out for centuries on the full nutritional benefit of corn... because one nation ignored the wisdom of another!
If wishing a hiking classroom to learn about First Nations plants and trees visit this link.
In 1492 wheat was the mainstay food of Europe, Asia and Africa. It was the “King of the Mountain." But that changed in 1493. The hand on the left is the yield from one kernel of corn seed.When Columbus returned from his first voyage he told his stories before the Spanish court about the land of the “Arawaks”. He told about the Arawaks piles of grain from which they made a cake-meal. He described the grain as having tapered ears longer then his hand, thicker then his wrist, with long rows the size of a pea. He spoke about how the black seeds when cooked, split open to create a tasty white fluff. He said the Arawaks called this strange grass plant “mahiz”.
Corn was non-existent in the rest of the world until Columbus saw it in the West Indies. Its productivity capabilities and ease of growing caught the world’s attention. Back then, wheat produced 15 to 20 kernels per head while corn produced 400 kernels per head.
The hand on the left is the yield from one barley seed.By the year 1515 this maize seed had spread like fire through Europe, Middle East, China and Africa. The exploring ships of the Spanish and Portuguese introduced maize seed to the rest of the world.
The British inhabitants of the New World called the wheat from Europe "corn".The English term “corn” means a particle or grain of. So to differentiate wheat,they called the North American maize "Indian Corn".
The British colonists were introduced to corn 30 years before they arrived at Plymouth Rock. Corn came to the English from introduced Spanish sources in Turkey. In fact it was called Turkey Wheat. This Turkey Wheat was considered inferior to barley, rye, oats and wheat because it seemed incomplete in nourishment.
The pompous attitude of the English settlers created ignorance. They scoffed at the savages for
preferring the inferior corn as food. And the Indians were horrified at watching the settlers feed corn to their livestock instead of eating it. Picture on right of an Iroquois wooden mixing bowl for corn mushIn Europe it was discovered that peasants who lived on corn during the winter got “corn sickness”. They developed raw rashes and sores, their joints and muscles ached and they became dizzy and nervous… sometimes ending in insanity. This continued to happen until 1930’s! As a result of this observed sickness, it made Europeans believe that corn was not nutritious.
In the Twentieth Century, scientist discovered that three amino acids crucial for the human cells to process energy where missing in corn. They are niacin, tryptophan and lysine. If corn was consumed with beans the niacin problem didn't exist. But the Indians did not rely on beans!
The Indians discovered how to unlock the nutritional value of corn by a process called an "ash bath". They would boil the corn in water with wood ash… this ash bath removed the corn hull making it digestible. The alkali in the wood ash released the locked in tryptophan and lysine acids, which in turn allowed the body to make niacin.Another option was to add wood ash or finely mixed lime into the corn meal and bake. The different wood ash not only made the corn nutritious but different woods... added different flavours! (Left photo of a stone pestle used to pound corn & ash together)
While the rest of the world got physically sick on a steady diet of corn, the First Nations of North America thrived. I find it interesting that sophisticated Europe missed out for centuries on the full nutritional benefit of corn... because one nation ignored the wisdom of another!
If wishing a hiking classroom to learn about First Nations plants and trees visit this link.
