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from the amaizing-inauguration-of-the-liquid-lunch dept.
UNM researchers document the first use of maize in Mesoamerica:
The research, titled Early isotopic evidence for maize as a staple grain in the Americas and published by Prufer and his team in the journal Science Advances, reveals new information about when the now-ubiquitous maize became a key part of people’s diets. Until now, little was known about when humans living in the tropics of Central America first started eating corn. But the “unparalleled” discovery of remarkably well-preserved ancient human skeletons in Central American rock shelters has revealed when corn became a key part of people’s diet in the Americas.
[...] Maize was domesticated from teosinte, a wild grass growing in the lower reaches of the Balsas River Valley of Central Mexico, around 9,000 years ago. There is evidence maize was first cultivated in the Maya lowlands around 6,500 years ago, at about the same time that it appears along the Pacific coast of Mexico. But there is no evidence that maize was a staple grain at that time.
The first use of corn may have been for an early form of liquor.
Why eat tortillas when you can make booze?
Journal Reference:
Douglas J. Kennett, Keith M. Prufer, Brendan J. Culleton, et al. Early isotopic evidence for maize as a staple grain in the Americas [open], Science Advances (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba3245)
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Arik on Friday June 05 2020, @02:35AM (5 children)
Having all three greatly reduces the danger of malnutrition that a diet with only one of the three would face.
However corn requires treatment before it is fit for human consumption. Nixtamalization is ideal, but the earliest evidence of it so far is only about 4k years old, and clearly corn was cultivated for a long time prior to that. So it makes perfect sense that it was being parched instead. Parched corn can be used in a few ways that I am familiar with, but producing alcohol seems likely to have been the most popular one. When you pack parched corn for a trip, you're hoping you won't have to eat it...
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2020, @02:49AM (1 child)
"'three sisters' of new world agriculture"
That may be (or not), but it's the potato that made the biggest impact globally. The thing is packed with carbs, and grows just about everywhere, and super quick, too.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Arik on Friday June 05 2020, @03:04AM
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday June 05 2020, @03:32AM (2 children)
You can also cook it in the husk though that may not have worked as well with ancient maize.
(Score: 2) by Arik on Friday June 05 2020, @03:46AM (1 child)
But it keeps a long time, and if you grind it up into a paste and mix with hot water you have a gruel that will sustain life for awhile. Mix it thick, spread out the paste on a flat rock, and bake for a bit and you can make a sort of coarse cake out of it. Cook and mash some beans for a topping and it's starting to become appetizing. Just a touch of fresh baked squash to go with it and things are really looking up, both for enjoying the meal and staying healthy on it.
You go up another step at least as significant as that last when you learn to make hominy though. Superior in every way, tastier, more nutritious, easier to digest. Boil it and eat it fresh, or dry it back out and parch it for storage. Grind it coarse for grits, grind it fine to make cakes. Add either beans or squash and you have a complete protein, necessary to maintain your muscles.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by captain normal on Friday June 05 2020, @05:49AM
"Mix it thick, spread out the paste on a flat rock, and bake for a bit and you can make a sort of coarse cake out of it. Cook and mash some beans for a topping and it's starting to become appetizing. Just a touch of fresh baked squash to go with it and things are really looking up,..."
There were also a couple of other new world plants that could really dress up your tostada, chilies and tomato (also tomatillo).
When life isn't going right, go left.