Corn in Africa

What’s interesting about corn as a food crop in Africa is how long it took to become truly dominant. For indeed there was a time, in the few centuries after its introduction, when corn was but one of number of — ehem — vegetable crops that appeared in many home and/or village gardens.

Because it was adaptable to many sub-Saharan African climates it was frequently planted between rows of other food crops like beans or peas. Because it produced ears so early in the growing season it was an ideal stop-gap food for growers who were waiting for their millet or sorghum to start producing. And because it wasn’t attractive to birds (at least until it dried out) it was reliable so long as the weather was good.

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Beet or Cane?

Reader Bee writes:

I heard cane sugar is better for baking and candy making. If [the package] says sugar, it is likely beet sugar. If it says cane sugar, it is cane sugar. Most store bands are beet sugar. At my local Wally World, their store brand, 5 pound bag stated “Sugar”, but the Store Brand 10 pound bag stated “Cane Sugar”. So I guess we can’t go by store brand!! Just read what’s on the label. Which do you use??

Bee, I use pretty much whatever comes in the bag. It’s true that beet sugar is now more common in the US than cane sugar. But the truth is you never really know what you’re getting when you buy a bag that isn’t clearly marked “cane sugar.” It might very well be beet sugar, but then it could be cane sugar. Most likely it’s a mixture of both. Why would that be? Prices. Sugar packagers will generally acquire their sucrose wherever they can and the best price wins. Beet sugar isn’t always cheaper.

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What’s the difference between a grain and vegetable?

I should have seen that one coming! Thanks, reader Clare. Grains are the seeds of grasses. Vegetables are…well, there isn’t a strict definition of what vegetables are. A vegetable can be any edible part of a plant that’s not a) the seed or b) the ripened ovary. The ripened ovaries of seed-bearing plants are what are known in scientific terms as “fruits”, if you follow me. Thus you can see why tomatoes and squash are classified as fruits and not a vegetables: they have seeds.

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Ummm…isn’t corn a grain?

In fact it isn’t, reader Sherry. Corn is a vegetable, though we certainly treat it as a grain, no question about that.

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Crop that Conquered the World

Corn is thought of as a quintessentially American crop. That’s true if by “quintessentially American” you mean that Americans have exploited corn’s industrial potential to a greater degree than anyone else. But of course corn didn’t originate in North America, and its popularity is by no means limited to North America, nor even to the New World.

Corn is grown on every continent on Earth save for Antarctica, most intensively in the American Midwest, western Europe and eastern China. On which note, I was watching a terrific BBC program called Wild China the other night. In one sequence on the subject of farm villages in Hunan province, I noticed that the ceilings of the homes there had bundles of dried corn hung from all their rafters. I did a double-take until I remembered that the farmers there — like most corn farmers around the world — think of corn as a traditional crop. It’s been around for so long, few are even aware that corn originally came from somewhere else.

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Next Up: Mieliepap

I’ve been getting all sorts of interesting emails since I announced my month of savory baking. Among the most intriguing was from reader Abri in Durban who told me to try something South African for a change. Not knowing much about South African food I naturally asked for some suggestions, the more classic the better. This topped Abri’s list of classic South African foods. It’s not a pastry, nor a bread…it’s actually a side dish. However since I just came into possession of some pretty nice corn meal, it seemed like fate. And given the holiday yesterday and the fact that little Joan has bronchitis, this is going to be a pretty abbreviated week anyway. So let’s do it!

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Why is Arab food so heavy on spices?

…asks reader Will. That’s the sort of question I really, really dig, reader Will. The reason is simply because Arabs are legendary traders, blessed by happenstance to be situated right on the receiving end of history’s ultimate wholesale supply line: the Silk Road. The Silk Road — which wasn’t actually one road but a network of trade routes — stretched for some 4,000 miles from the Pacific coast of China all the way to the Mediterranean.

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Another Way to Peel the Onion

Reader J from Singapore submits this very interesting and helpful video showing how spring roll wrappers are made. Warqa is the very same concept, just done in Morocco. And indeed it seems at least possible that along with all the spices the Arabs imported from the Far East they may have imported some kitchen techniques as well. The only difference between this and warqa-making is that a slightly firmer dough is dabbed onto hot metal several times to create “leaves” which altogether make up a finished sheet. If you prefer not to use a paint brush — try it!

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