Corn vegetable or fruit: what family and species does it belong to

Many people ask if corn is a vegetable or a fruit. Not everyone understands what a plant with large yellow cobs is. However, it is definitely not a fruit. Then you need to consider whether corn is a vegetable or a cereal.

Corn is a cereal crop. It is familiar to people of all countries, loved on all continents, as it has many useful properties.

What is corn?

The corn plant is, like rice, oats, rye or wheat, a cereal crop.It is a herbaceous plant that can grow up to 3 m in height. Cobs with juicy seeds are formed on its long stem, which are eaten. However, other parts of the plant are suitable for processing and use in various areas of human life.

Origin story

The history of the origin of culture goes back centuries. Archaeologists have discovered the oldest ears of corn in what is now Peru. The age of the find is about 10 thousand years. And the age of the first discovered corn pollen is 55 thousand years. Corn as a cultivated plant was first grown in Mexico. The first cobs differed little from wild fruits. They did not exceed 5 cm in length, and the grains were small.

At the same time, fodder crops are spreading in other countries of Central and South America. In the Americas, corn is called maize.This name was given to her by the ancient Mayan tribes. This people grew several varieties of maize - from the early ripening, which was called the Song of the Rooster, to the late, bearing the name Old Woman Maize and ripening for six months.

For American tribes, maize was a special plant. In connection with the rounded shape and golden color, the grains were associated by ancient people with the sun. In honor of maize, magnificent festivities were held, the plant was depicted next to the figures of the gods. Bread, which was baked from cornmeal, was placed in the temple of the sun god. And the temples themselves looked like a corncob.

Indian legend says that once a beautiful girl decided to save people from hunger and turned into an ear of corn, leaving only her beautiful hair. Among some tribes, Mais was the son of the Sun and the Moon.

Even the American holiday Thanksgiving is associated with maize. When Europeans landed on the coast of a new continent, the natives treated them to maize. Later, in gratitude, the Europeans brought gifts from their continent to the local tribes.

Maize appeared in Europe thanks to Christopher Columbus. This event took place at the end of the 15th century during the period of the Great Geographical Discoveries. Europeans liked corn, however, at first it was grown as an ornamental plant. Only a few decades later, the taste and beneficial properties of maize were appreciated.

Maize came to Russia during the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. The Turks have already planted an American plant in Bessarabia. The first regions in Russia to start growing "Turkish wheat", as corn was first called, were Crimea, the Caucasus and southern Ukraine.

Biological Description

Most cereals belong to the botanical family Cereals. They include corn, a cereal that is the only representative of the genus Corn.

However, according to the botanical description, the characteristic of the plant differs in many respects from other representatives of cereal crops.Its root system and ground part have a more powerful development. The leaves are long, the inflorescences are a panicle and an ear. Male flowers have stamens, while female flowers only have pistils. The grains are different from other cereals in shape, size and color.

Although the homeland of corn is the hot countries of South and Central America, the plant tolerates cooler climatic conditions well. Seedlings are able to withstand short-term frosts, and seed ripening begins already at a temperature of +10 °C. Undemanding culture to moisture and lighting. Daylight hours and moderate rainfall are enough for her to grow and bloom well.

But corn loves loose and fertile soil. It grows best on chernozem, loamy, sandy loam or peat bog soils. If you also feed the plant during the growing season, then a high yield is practically guaranteed.

Views

Corn is called the "queen of the fields".It is widely used in food and industrial fields. Over a long history, species of wild, wild, field corn have become cultivars. In total, 8 plant species are distinguished. However, there are hundreds of varieties of each species. In this regard, cereal corn, legumes and nuts are similar.

The following types of corn are of production importance:

1. Sugar (sweet, dairy). This type is the most common, as sweet corn kernels are soft and tasty. The young cob has a milky color, but after ripening it becomes golden yellow. The grains of young cobs are most often eaten, as they are the sweetest. This species has many varieties and hybrids growing all over the world.
2. Tooth. A characteristic feature of such corn is the rich golden yellow color of the grains. This species is famous for its high yield and good endurance. It is used for food. It is used to produce flour and starch, livestock feed (silage), alcohol.
3. Silicon (Indian). This species is characterized by precocity. The grains are round and smooth, different in color. In one cob there can be grains of white, yellow, red and black colors. This type contains a large amount of starch, however, cereals and flakes are produced from it.
4. Starchy (soft, mealy). This species is distinguished by a thin head of cabbage with large red and white grains. The species got its name from its high starch content. Starch is soft and therefore easy to process. Flour and molasses are produced from starchy corn. However, the species is grown only in the USA and in the countries of South America.
5. Waxy. If you ask which type of corn shows the least vitality and yields the worst, the answer is waxy. This species got its name for the peculiarity of the grain coating, which resembles a layer of wax. The grains themselves are white or yellow, but are often diluted with red grains.

This type of maize is a wild mutation and is not suitable for growing in regions with unsuitable climatic conditions. The main region of industrial production of waxy corn is China. There, starch is produced from it, which is considered the best corn product. But some varieties of waxy maize taste good.

Etymology

At home, the plant is called maize. This name comes from the language of Haiti. But there are also several dialects in different regions. When a solar plant from the Cereal family appeared in Europe, the inhabitants of the countries of the Old World retained names that refer to the culture of the Indians.

The Turks used the word "kokoroz", and the Romanians used the word "corn", which translated as "fir cone". It is not known what the renaming refers to, but this name was adopted by the inhabitants of Eastern European countries.Later, the word "kokoroz" was transformed into the familiar "corn" of the genus Corn.

Effect on the body

The positive effect of the fruit of corn on the body will not take long if you use cereal regularly. The microelements contained in it help to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood, due to which the cardiovascular system returns to normal.

B vitamins have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system, providing an anti-stress effect on the body. Eating corn contributes to a calm and sound sleep, the speedy overcoming of emotional overload and depression.

Vitamin E in the "Queen of the Fields" contributes to the preservation of youthful skin. Corn is also useful for digestion, as it normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, cleanses the body of toxins, and destroys substances that cause intoxication.Maize contains carotenoids that support eye he alth and improve visual acuity.

Solar cereal has a positive effect on the reproductive system of the female body, normalizes the menstrual cycle, reduces the negative manifestation of menopause. Useful corn for men. Porridge from golden grains helps to restore potency.

Corn has a positive effect on the human body, not only when eaten. Various rejuvenating and nourishing masks for the skin of the face, body and hair are made from cereals. Corn helps to clear the skin of acne, age spots.

However, it should be remembered that in some cases maize can harm the body. Although corn is considered a safe food, sometimes people are allergic to substances contained in the cereal. Corn is also contraindicated for those who suffer from stomach ulcers, duodenal diseases or thrombophlebitis.

How to choose?

Corn can be grown on your own, as well as purchased at a store or market. When buying cereal, you need to be careful. Sellers may pass off cheaper fodder varieties as edible crops. The taste of such cobs is rough and fresh. You can tell them apart by color. Cobs of fodder varieties have a rich yellow color.

Sometimes a good cob looks bright. A small test will help determine the quality. If you pierce a seed with your fingernail, the juice will squirt out of a good cob.

Corn is called (names, is called) a useful cereal. However, a spoiled or old cob will not bring any benefit. When choosing a cereal, try to expand the cob. In a young plant, the grains are milky or light yellow in color, and the antennae are white and soft. The combination of white and yellow corn kernels in one cob signals that the cereal is still immature.

Dry leaves signal that the ear was cut long ago and has already lost its juiciness. If there are bugs and other insects under the leaves, then it is better not to buy such products.

Corn in medicine

Culture corn is a storehouse of trace elements, necessary for human life. Corn stigmas are used to make drugs that help prevent cholecystitis and hepatitis. In urology, this raw material is used as a diuretic.

Many varieties of corn are high in magnesium, calcium, iron and important amino acids such as lysine and tryptophan. These substances are used in medicines for people with blood disorders.

Corn grits are part of preparations that cleanse the intestines and also normalize blood glucose levels, which is important for people with diabetes. The coarse fibers of cereals help to get rid of toxic substances in the body.

Maize is also used in folk medicine. The stigmas and columns are of the greatest value, although other parts of the plant are also useful. Diuretics are prepared from stigmas, and tincture for blood pressure is prepared from cornmeal. Golden bean puree is good for people with gastritis or damage to the gastric mucosa.

Useful properties of culture

The composition of cereals includes such healing substances as fiber, pyridoxine, linoleic, ascorbic and pantothenic acids, starch, magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, potassium, phosphorus, amino acids and vitamins C, D, K, PP , group B. The stigmas of maize contain a large amount of essential oils, and the leaves contain phenolcarboxylic acids.

Corn is also good because after freezing or canning it retains all its useful properties.

The Indians knew that maize is a storehouse of useful substances.They used the plant completely. Various dishes were prepared from grains and used to make seasonings, bread was baked from pollen and soups were cooked, drinks were made from the stem. There were even special dishes and drinks made from maize, which were served at the imperial table, used in rituals, and helped in the treatment. The leaves and stems were used to make clothes and use them for other household purposes.

Today grain is widely used in industrial production. The United States is the leader in the cultivation and use of grain crops. There, food, drinks, paper, toothpaste, medicines are made from it. Much of the maize is used to produce livestock feed, helping the US maintain its lead in the livestock sector.

Interesting facts

Throughout the history of the plant, a lot of interesting facts have accumulated related to the solar cereal. Although most often maize does not grow above 3 m, there are varieties that can reach a height of 7 m.

Maize is not found in the wild today. People have cultivated this plant so much that it can only be planted with seeds. Seeds that fall to the ground will not germinate. This feature has long worried people who considered corn a gift from the gods or a gift from aliens. However, scientists have proven that the wild ancestors of corn looked different and were pollinated by the wind.

Delicious popcorn is not an American invention of the 20th century. This product was invented by their ancestors 5 thousand years ago. They covered the grains with sand and built a fire nearby, and then caught the balls flying out of the fire.

A lot of snacks are made from corn. However, corn sticks, flakes and other similar products are not as useful as a whole cob. During processing, snacks lose most of the beneficial properties of maize.

Although corn appeared in Russia in the 18th century., N. S. Khrushchev glorified her in the middle of the 20th century. His epic with the cultivation of cereals in all regions of the USSR failed miserably. Corn, although resistant to cool temperatures, still prefers warm and sunny climates. But the first secretary left the word “kukutsapol” to the younger generation, composed of his famous phrase “Corn is the queen of the fields.”

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