History and diversity of corn in Puebla

For that reason, in 2018, Unesco designated the “Valle de Tehuacán-Cuicatlán”, (Puebla-Oaxaca) as a World Heritage Site for being an original habitat in Mesoamerica.<br>

This cave located in the Pueblan municipality of Coxcatlán provided archeological evidence of the beginnings of agriculture in America. It was there that they discovered remnants of highly important crops to Mesoamerica, such as corn, pumpkin, beans and amaranth.<br>

The wild grass known as teocintle is the species from which corn originated, which, after a long process of adaptation and selection, began to diversify. <br>

Human groups started the process of domesticating corn over 9,000 years ago in Mexico.<br>

Through multiple generations of cultivation, peasant families selected and adapted corn to different geographic regions and to their food needs and interests, making it the most important food for the Mexican people<br>

Well before eating tortillas, tamales or any grain-based antojito, our ancestors consumed popcorn.<br>

The kernels were popped using hot ash, and this treat has been consumed for thousands of years in Mexico as well as in other regions of North and South America.<br>

Different types of stone have been used throughout history to grind and process food. Thanks to archaeological remains found in the Balsas River basin in Guerrero, it is known that corn was ground with stones of volcanic origin as far back as 8700 years ago.<br>

In Mesoamerica, two stone utensils were developed that are still used to this day in Mexican cooking. We're talking about the metate with its <i>metlapil, </i>and the molcajete with its tejolote for grinding.<br>

Atole (a hot, corn-based beverage) is of a liquid consistency that has been drunk since pre-Hispanic times as a source of nutrients. There are several ways of preparing it, whether through the use of ground or cooked corn or nixtamalized masa. <br>

Any of these raw materials is diluted in water and boiled to create a thick drink. Atoles can be enhanced with the addition of fruits, cinnamon, or chocolate, among other ingredients.<br>

Nixtamalization is the process of cooking corn in an alkaline solution, commonly made of a lime or ash base, which makes it easier to digest, more nutritious, flexible and conserves it. This technique is one of the most important culinary contributions of Mesoamerica to the world. <br>

Ancient civilizations used wood ash instead of lime, which is why the word nixtamal comes from the Nahuatl words <i>nixtli</i>and <i>tamalli</i>, which mean ash and dough, respectively.<br>

The comal or <i>comalli</i> is a flat circular cooking dish developed in Mesoamerica to prepare tortillas and foods such as memlas, tlacoyos, sopes, and quesadillas, among others. <br>

Traditionally, comales were made from clay and cooked over a fire. Reyes Metzontla is an artisan community located in Puebla, which is globally renowned for the quality of its clay comales.<br>

The diversity of corn is expressed through multiple shapes and textures. In the case of poblanos, we can find corns with a hard consistency and a crystalline appearance, or soft corns with a floury consistency.

There are also colored corn, such as red, pink, blue, black, white, yellow and orange. All are part of the biological and culinary heritage of Puebla.

This is one of the oldest and most peculiar corns. Each kernel is covered with an individual husk (totomoxtle), which makes it look like a garlic bulb. For that reason, it is popularly known as garlic corn.<br>

It has fallen into disuse for gastronomic purposes, however, its planting is preserved for artisanal purposes and due to the richness of its genetic information.