Maize is Humanities Greatest Invention!

    Corn proper's name is Maize. Maize is the technical term for the plant Zea Mays, which is called corn. Corn is the most cultivated plant in the world, it would be a disaster if corn would vanish. Maize was the engine to ancient American Civilization allowing them to survive and flourish. It was transformative and a key component to a way of life. 

    Maize could not have grown without human intervention, and it was a continuing process as corn got bigger and produced in different colors. In Mexico there are 50 types of maize. Natives grew The Three Sisters together which were beans, squash, and maize. The maize provides a stalk for the beans to grow, beans provide nutrients in the soil, and squash provides shade and protects the roots of the maize. By planting them all together it provided additional sources of nutrients. 

    Eating just maize can lead to nutritional deficiencies. It does not provide amino acids lysine, which is a type of building block for protein, which a human body cannot create on its own. Tryptophan is an amino acid that makes protein which makes niacin which is vitamin B that is made and used by your body to turn food into energy. If maize is your primary food source, then you suffer from a disease called pellagra. Pellagra is a disease caused by lack of  the vitamin niacin. The symptoms are diarrhea, dementia, hair loss, weakness, anxiety, and inflamed skin. To avoid pellagra Native Americans used nixtamalization. Nixtamalization happens when boiling and soaking the maize kernels in an alkaline solution usually water and food-grade lime, this would soften the kernels and stimulate niacin in the maize so that the body can absorbed it. 

What is Nixtamalization? - YouTube

Maize was used to make beer which was known as Chicha. It was loved by the Andean peoples, and it was used during social and religious gatherings. Chicha was used in many rituals as an offering to the gods and ancestors. The sacred chicha was not just a drink to socialize and get drunk with friends, it was sacred.  

This authentic recipe makes artisanal chicha de jora. You will need:

·         1 kg of jora corn (also known as malted corn)

·         ½ kg of brown sugar

·         ½ cake of chancaca, an unrefined brown sugar

·         3 liters of water

Instructions to make authentic artisanal chicha de jora:

1.   Soak the jora corn for half an hour in warm water before adjusting the water and boiling it for another half-hour.

2.   Strain the jora corn and cook it for eight hours, stirring continuously in three liters of water over low heat.

3.   When boiling, the jora corn should not decrease in thickness, so slowly add warm water to keep the amount stable.

4.   Stir in the sugar and chancaca until they dissolve, then set aside to cool.

5.   Fill clay pots with chicha and cover with tamis or a cheesecloth towel to allow air to pass in. 

6.   Leave the chicha for eight days, then trim the foam, strain the sediments, and sweeten to taste.

7.   Serve this delectable and real Peruvian liqueur and enjoy!

For further instructions click here Chicha de Jora, Peruvian Fermented Corn Drink (amigofoods.com)