Corn is native to Central America, was cultivated in Mexico since 4000 BC and introduced in Europe after the discovery of the American Continent. There are many different variety of corn:
- Vitreous corn: soft, low in protein, floury, mainly grown in South America, excellent for starch extraction
- Dent corn: similar to the horse tooth, not horny at the end of the corn, it is the most important variety in the world
- Durum corn: tough, horny grains, small, particularly robust in unfavourable climatic conditions
- Pop corn: almost complete grains with callous ends, rich in protein
- Sweet corn: crumpled, vitreous grains, fat and high in protein
- Waxy corn: cerulean-looking grains, of Asian origin, can be used in many ways, suitable for all kind of human consumption
Any kind of corn can be used directly or processed as flour for breads or polenta, flakes, pasta, extrusion, etc.
It has more fat than other cereals but is also rich in vitamin B, C, calcium and phosphorus.