Maize as Food Grain: Types and Uses of Maize as Food Grain!
Maize is the third important cereal crop of the world after rice and wheat.
Maize is often known as Indian corn or simply corn and is a widely cultivated cereal. It originated in America and has long been cultivated by the American Indians.
It was grown by the people of ancient civilizations of the Incas and Aztecs and is still the staple food of many Latin American people. Afterwards it was introduced in Europe, Africa and Asia and is now grown in wide range of climatic conditions in many countries.
These are:
1. Dent com:
This is soft maize, widely cultivated and has great commercial value.
2. Flint corn:
This is a hard corn that ripens rapidly.
3. Sweet corn:
This corn contains both starch and sugar and thus tastes sweet.
4. Pop corn:
The grain of this corn is very hard and small in size. This is a popular type of corn for human consumption.
5. Flour corn:
Its starch is soft and shrinks when the corn ripens.
6. Waxy corn:
This corn comprises of a soft, wax-like substance resembling tapioca starch.
7. Pop corn:
This type of corn is not grown on a commercial basis. Unlike other maize, each grain of the pod corn is enclosed in a separate pod or husk. Maize has a wide variety of uses.
(ii) Human food, and
(iii) Industrial products.
The main use of corn is the animal feed and nearly 75 to 90 per cent corn is used for feeding animals. In USA 40 per cent corn is used to feed hogs or pigs, 25 per cent to feed cattle, 15 per cent for poultry and 10 per cent for horses and sheep.
Another use of corn is as human food. In many parts of the world especially in Latin America, Africa, Southern Europe and some Asian countries, maize is consumed as food grain.
The third use of maize is in making industrial products. Maize is used for making industrial alcohol. Maize is also used for making vegetable oil and starch is also obtained from it. On the other hand maize stalks are used in making rayon, plastics, paper and wall-boards
Maize is the third important cereal crop of the world after rice and wheat.
Maize is often known as Indian corn or simply corn and is a widely cultivated cereal. It originated in America and has long been cultivated by the American Indians.
It was grown by the people of ancient civilizations of the Incas and Aztecs and is still the staple food of many Latin American people. Afterwards it was introduced in Europe, Africa and Asia and is now grown in wide range of climatic conditions in many countries.
Types and Uses:
There are seven types of maize; each one has distinctive characteristics and uses.These are:
1. Dent com:
This is soft maize, widely cultivated and has great commercial value.
2. Flint corn:
This is a hard corn that ripens rapidly.
3. Sweet corn:
This corn contains both starch and sugar and thus tastes sweet.
4. Pop corn:
The grain of this corn is very hard and small in size. This is a popular type of corn for human consumption.
5. Flour corn:
Its starch is soft and shrinks when the corn ripens.
6. Waxy corn:
This corn comprises of a soft, wax-like substance resembling tapioca starch.
7. Pop corn:
This type of corn is not grown on a commercial basis. Unlike other maize, each grain of the pod corn is enclosed in a separate pod or husk. Maize has a wide variety of uses.
Its three main uses are:
(i) Animal feed,(ii) Human food, and
(iii) Industrial products.
The main use of corn is the animal feed and nearly 75 to 90 per cent corn is used for feeding animals. In USA 40 per cent corn is used to feed hogs or pigs, 25 per cent to feed cattle, 15 per cent for poultry and 10 per cent for horses and sheep.
Another use of corn is as human food. In many parts of the world especially in Latin America, Africa, Southern Europe and some Asian countries, maize is consumed as food grain.
The third use of maize is in making industrial products. Maize is used for making industrial alcohol. Maize is also used for making vegetable oil and starch is also obtained from it. On the other hand maize stalks are used in making rayon, plastics, paper and wall-boards
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