Contents
Description of Corn grits
How do corn grits look like, their composition, its useful properties, and what can we prepare from it? Milled dried corn grains of white or yellow color is rich in vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. Among the useful properties of corn grits, the most valuable is the stimulation of metabolism.
The benefits of corn grits for the body also lie in the fact that it removes excess fat. Therefore it is good food to lose weight and maintain weight, but its excessive use can be harmful to colitis and peptic ulcer disease due to the abundance of fiber.
Corn sticks are made from small corn grits, and flakes, cereals, and popcorn are made from large corn. This product is especially popular in America, so American homemakers know how to cook corn grits correctly and tasty.
They boil it for breakfast in salted water, and how much to cook corn grits depends on the tastes and preferences of the eaters. However, according to tradition, the porridge is cooked for half an hour with continuous stirring; otherwise, it will quickly stick together. It is served with sausage, bacon, grated cheese, sugar, and a lot of butter.
If you boil small corn grits in milk, then the dish will turn out to be more tender, like a cream. In Italy, frozen cornmeal porridge has the name polenta and it is popular in chilled form. They cut it into pieces, with mushrooms, anchovies, meat, or a side dish.
In the Balkans, hominy corn porridge is popular, used to replace bread, since cereals, whose calorie content is 328 calories, saturates the stomach well.
Corn porridge is a dish from boiled corn grits. It retains its sunny yellow color and has a nutty flavor
History of corn porridge
Since ancient times, corn has been used as food by various peoples. Yellow grains were an integral part of the diet of the Maya, Inca, and Aces. Corn was used to making flour, flakes, and butter. Later they began to produce popcorn and even spirits (whiskey).
Indians invented corn in the form of porridge. The dish saturated the body well and did not require large financial investments to purchase or cultivate the culture.
Moldovans and Ukrainians call corn porridge mamalyga. The porridge turns out to be very thick. Even after cooling, you can cut it only with a special wooden knife. In Georgia, such a dish has a name “gomi,” among the Abkhazians – “meremis.”
In Soviet Russia (during the Khrushchev era), corn had a name the “queen of the fields,” the culture supplanted the traditional rye and millet. People considered the corn porridge as a dietary and very healthy, suitable for baby food.
Types of corn grits
There are several ways to make cereals and different types of corn for making it. The types of corn grits depend on the size and color of the grains, as well as on the way the grains are processed:
- Polished – particles of corn kernels obtained by crushing after cleaning from the shells and separating the embryos; they have a different shape and rounded edges.
- Large – particles of corn kernels obtained by crushing after cleaning from the shells and separating the embryos; they have a different shape. From this type of cereal you can make puffed grains and corn flakes.
- Fine – particles of corn kernels obtained by crushing after cleaning from the shells and separating the embryos; they have a different shape. From this type of cereal you can make corn sticks.
Benefits of corn grits
Corn porridge is healthy due to its unique composition. Corn contains a lot of dietary fiber, which is good for cleansing the esophagus.
Vitamins (A, B, C, E, K, and PP) are natural antioxidants responsible for skin firmness, hair shine, and teeth strength. They also affect the brain’s functioning, increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood, and normalize the nervous system.
Corn porridge is gluten-free, so it is great for people with wheat gluten allergies. Also, the dish can be used as the first complementary food for one-year-old babies.
Scientists have proven that corn porridge prevents the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Composition and calorie content of corn grits
- Calorie content 328 kcal
- Protein 8.3 g
- Fat 1.2 g
- Carbohydrates 71 gr
Corn grits contain 18 amino acids, including all irreplaceable ones. Corn grits contain vitamins: B1, B2, PP, B5, B6, B9, choline, betaine, E, A, K, beta-carotene, lutein, macro-and microelements: potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, calcium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, selenium.
Harm of corn porridge
With the frequent use of corn porridge, intestinal motility increases, so unpleasant pains may occur. Porridge should be abandoned during exacerbations of diseases of the duodenum or ulcers.
The use of corn grits in medicine
Corn grits are unique in that they retain almost all vitamins and minerals after heat treatment.
Earlier, corn porridge was used in the form of hominy. They took her with them on long hikes. She helped to maintain efficiency and strength for a long time. It contains a lot of vitamins A and C, vitamins of group B. For example, vitamin E is an antioxidant that preserves youth and allows you always to look good.
It improves the condition of the skin, hair, and affects reproductive function. Fights diseases of the cardiovascular system. Nicotinic acid lowers cholesterol levels, breaks down excess bad fat and cholesterol. It improves the metabolism of fats in the body and is responsible for accelerating metabolic processes.
Porridge contains both calcium and phosphorus – they are good for nails, bones, and teeth. Potassium and magnesium are responsible for the work of the cardiovascular system. Potassium removes excess fluid from the body; that is, it prevents swelling and increased pressure. Magnesium dilates blood vessels, calms the nervous system.
Cooking applications of Corn grits
Polenta is prepared from corn porridge, baked in the oven or fried in a pan. They are also used for sweet desserts and meats. Porridge has a neutral taste and goes well with vegetables and fish. Emphasizes their taste and aromas.
Corn porridge with orange
An unusual variant of corn porridge for breakfast. The dish turns out to be very aromatic and tasty. Orange and ginger give the porridge a sour-hot taste. You may serve it with nuts.
Ingredients
- Corn grits – 70 grams
- Orange – 1 piece
- Ginger (root) – 30 grams
- Sesame seeds – 5 grams
- Sugar – 10 grams
- Turmeric – 0.5 teaspoons
Chop orange and ginger in a blender. Dilute the mixture with water (300-300 ml). Add salt, sugar, sesame seeds, and corn grits there, stir everything and put on low heat. Stir occasionally. Cook the porridge until thick. In the end, add a little butter and let the dish brew.
How to choose and store
When choosing corn grits for porridge, please pay attention to its color and consistency. A quality product has a bright yellow color and crumbly structure.
The cereal should be free of lumps and dark litter. If it is not – then the storage conditions were broken. If there is litter, then the manufacturer has poorly cleaned the cereal crop.
Choose coarsely ground corn porridge. It is more effective in cleansing the intestines. But it takes longer to prepare. Medium grinding is suitable for daily use, fine – used in instant cereals (no more than 15 minutes).
Storage conditions. Keep the corn grits in a tightly closed glass container. Vladi from direct light. There is no need to stock up on corn porridge for future use since the average shelf life of cereals is 1 month. Then the porridge begins to lose its taste.
Interesting Facts
- Corn is a familiar cereal for all people. Nevertheless, not everyone knows what curiosities awaited her throughout human evolution to the present day and how different peoples now use it. What is so interesting about groats in their history?
- The true name of corn. The crop we know as corn is called maize in every region of the world;
- Historical fact. For the first time, corn was heard in Mexico, about six thousand years ago. The ancient Maya and Inca tribes still cultivated it. They used the cobs of the plant to prepare food. They even had their own cult of worship of the corn god – Chinteotl;
- The ancient drink of Chicha. In the traditional version, women make it by chewing dry cereal grains. After that, the mass that has turned out is poured with clean water and set to ferment to the required strength;
- Queen of the fields. In the 20th century, Nikita Khrushchev, being the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, tried to expand the cultivation area and increase the acreage of raw materials for corn grits to no avail. Since the elite varieties, due to the cold climate, turned into fodder, which, as a result, were not suitable for consumption;
- A kind of antidepressant. Porridge made from corn grits can relieve muscle tension and cope with neurological problems;
- A treasure trove of valuable substances. The product can saturate a person with almost all nutrients, so many can add only corn grits to their diet and will feel good;
- Gold in croup. The common believe is that corn grits contain a record amount of gold compared to other products, which is very valuable for the human body, especially for the digestive system.