 A bowl of cooked hominy | |
| Place of origin | Mesoamerica |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Americas |
| Ingredients generally used | Dried maize (corn) kernels, water, alkali |
Hominy is a food produced from dried maize (corn) kernels that have been treated with an alkali, in a process called nixtamalization (nextamalli is the Nahuatl word for "hominy"). "Lye hominy" is a type of hominy made with lye. [1]
The process of nixtamalization has been fundamental to Mesoamerican cuisine since ancient times. The lime used to treat the maize can be obtained from several different materials. Among the Lacandon Maya who inhabited the tropical lowland regions of eastern Chiapas, the caustic powder was obtained by toasting freshwater shells over a fire for several hours. In the highland areas of Chiapas and throughout much of the Yucatán Peninsula, Belize River valley and Petén Basin, limestone was used to make slaked lime for steeping the shelled kernels. [2] The Maya used nixtamal to produce beers that more resembled chicha than pulque . When bacteria were introduced to nixtamal it created a type of sourdough. [3]
The process of nixtamalization spread from Mesoamerica northwards through various indigenous tribes of North America. European settlers first encountered the dish in eastern North America, with the word hominy being an anglicization of the Powhatan word rokahamĕn. [4]
Hominy became a poverty food during the Great Depression in the United States. Because of this, there is still a stigma associated with the dish, particularly among survivors of the Great Depression in the Southern United States. [4]
To make hominy, field corn (maize) grain is dried, and then it is treated by soaking and cooking the mature (hard) grain in a dilute solution of lye (potassium hydroxide) (which can be produced from water and wood ash) or slaked lime (calcium hydroxide from limestone). The maize is then washed thoroughly to remove the bitter flavor of the lye or lime. Alkalinity helps dissolve hemicellulose, the major adhesive component of the maize cell walls, loosens the hulls from the kernels, and softens the corn. Also, soaking the corn in lye [5] kills the seed's germ, which keeps it from sprouting while in storage. Finally, in addition to providing a source of dietary calcium, the lye or lime reacts with the corn so that the nutrient niacin can be assimilated by the digestive tract. [6] People consume hominy in intact kernels, grind it into sand-sized particles for grits, or into flour.
In Mexican cooking, hominy is finely ground to make masa (Spanish for dough). Fresh masa that has been dried and powdered is called masa seca or masa harina. Some of the corn oil breaks down into emulsifying agents (monoglycerides and diglycerides), and facilitates bonding the corn proteins to each other. The divalent calcium in lime acts as a cross-linking agent for protein and polysaccharide acidic side chains. Cornmeal from untreated ground corn cannot form a dough with the addition of water, but the chemical changes in masa (a.k.a. masa nixtamalera) make dough formation possible, for tortillas and other food.
In Mexican cuisine, people cook masa nixtamalera with water and milk to make a thick, gruel-like beverage called atole . When they make it with chocolate and sugar, it becomes atole de chocolate. Adding anise and piloncillo to this mix creates champurrado , a popular breakfast drink.
The English term hominy derives from the Powhatan language word for prepared maize [7] (cf. Chickahominy). Many other indigenous American cultures also made hominy, and integrated it into their diet. Cherokees, for example, made hominy grits by soaking corn in a weak lye solution produced by leaching hardwood ash with water, and then beating it with a kanona (ᎧᏃᎾ), or corn beater. [8] They used grits to make a traditional hominy soup (gvnohenv amagiiᎬᏃᎮᏅ ᎠᎹᎩᎢ) that they let ferment (gvwi sida amagiiᎬᏫ ᏏᏓ ᎠᎹᎩᎢ), [9] cornbread, dumplings (digunviᏗᎫᏅᎢ), [10] or, in post-contact times, fried with bacon and green onions.
Hominy recipes include pozole (a Mexican stew of hominy and pork, chicken, or other meat), hominy bread, hominy chili, hog 'n' hominy, casseroles and fried dishes. In Latin America there is a variety of dishes referred to as mote . Hominy can be ground coarsely for grits, or into a fine mash dough ( masa ) used extensively in Latin American cuisine. Many islands in the West Indies, notably Jamaica, also use hominy (known as cornmeal or polenta, though different from Italian polenta) to make a sort of porridge with corn starch or flour to thicken the mixture and condensed milk, vanilla, and nutmeg. In the Philippines, hominy (Tagalog : lagkitan) is the main component of dessert binatog. [11]
Rockihominy, a popular trail food in the 19th and early 20th centuries, is dried corn, roasted to a golden brown, then ground to a very coarse meal, almost like hominy grits. Hominy is also used as animal feed. [12]
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 72 kJ (17 kcal) |
14.3 g | |
| Sugars | 1.51 g |
| Dietary fiber | 2.5 g |
0.88 g | |
1.48 g | |
| Vitamins | Quantity %DV† |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0% 0.003 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0% 0.006 mg |
| Niacin (B3) | 0% 0.033 mg |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 3% 0.154 mg |
| Folate (B9) | 0% 1 μg |
| Choline | 1% 3.1 mg |
| Vitamin C | 0% 0.3 mg |
| Minerals | Quantity %DV† |
| Calcium | 1% 10 mg |
| Copper | 3% 0.03 mg |
| Iron | 3% 0.62 mg |
| Magnesium | 4% 16 mg |
| Manganese | 3% 0.07 mg |
| Phosphorus | 3% 35 mg |
| Potassium | 1% 35 mg |
| Zinc | 10% 1.05 mg |
| Other constituents | Quantity |
| Water | 82.5 g |
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, [13] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies. [14] | |
Canned hominy (drained) is composed of 83% water, 14% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and 1% fat (table). In a 100-gram serving, hominy provide 72 calories and is a good source (10–19% of the Daily Value) of zinc. Hominy also supplies dietary fiber. Other nutrients are in low amounts (table). [15]
Grits are a type of porridge made from coarsely ground dried maize or hominy, the latter being maize that has been treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization, with the pericarp removed. Grits are cooked in warm salted water or milk. They are often served with flavorings as a breakfast dish. Grits can be savory or sweet, with savory seasonings being more common. Grits are similar to other thick maize-based porridges from around the world, such as polenta and mieliepap. The dish originated in the Southern United States but is now available nationwide. Grits are often part of a dinner entrée shrimp and grits, served primarily in the South USA.
Mexican cuisine consists of the cooking cuisines and traditions of the modern country of Mexico. Its earliest roots lie in Mesoamerican cuisine. Its ingredients and methods begin with the first agricultural communities such as the Olmec and Maya who domesticated maize, created the standard process of nixtamalization, and established their foodways. Successive waves of other Mesoamerican groups brought with them their cooking methods. These included: the Teotihuacanos, Toltec, Huastec, Zapotec, Mixtec, Otomi, Purépecha, Totonac, Mazatec, Mazahua, and Nahua. With the Mexica formation of the multi-ethnic Triple Alliance, culinary foodways became infused.
A tamale, in Spanish tamal, is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa, a dough made from nixtamalized corn, which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaves. The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tamales can be filled with meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, herbs, chilies, or any preparation according to taste, and both the filling and the cooking liquid may be seasoned.
In North America, a corn tortilla or just tortilla is a type of thin, unleavened flatbread, made from hominy, that is the whole kernels of maize treated with alkali to improve their nutrition in a process called nixtamalization. A simple dough made of ground, dried hominy, salt and water is then formed into flat discs and cooked on a very hot surface, generally an iron griddle called a comal.
Cornmeal is a meal ground from dried corn (maize). It is a common staple food and is ground to coarse, medium, and fine consistencies, but it is not as fine as wheat flour can be. In Mexico, very finely ground cornmeal is referred to as corn flour. When fine cornmeal is made from maize that has been soaked in an alkaline solution, e.g., limewater, it is called masa harina, which is used for making arepas, tamales, and tortillas. Boiled cornmeal is called polenta in Italy and is also a traditional dish and bread substitute in Romania.
A lye is an alkali metal hydroxide. Traditionally it was obtained by using rainwater to leach wood ashes, which are strongly alkaline and highly soluble in water, of their potassium hydroxide (KOH), producing lye water, a caustic basic solution. Then the lye water would either be used as such, as for curing olives before brining them, or evaporated of water to leave crystalline lye behind. "Lye" most accurately refers to sodium hydroxide (NaOH), but historically has been conflated to include other alkali materials, most notably potassium hydroxide.
Cornbread is a quick bread made with cornmeal, associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States, with origins in Native American cuisine. It is an example of batter bread. Dumplings and pancakes made with finely ground cornmeal are staple foods of the Hopi people in Arizona. The Hidatsa people of the Upper Midwest call baked cornbread naktsi. Cherokee and Seneca tribes enrich the basic batter, adding chestnuts, sunflower seeds, apples, or berries, and sometimes combine it with beans or potatoes. Modern versions of cornbread are usually leavened by baking powder.
Masa or masa de maíz is a maize dough that comes from ground nixtamalized corn. It is used for making corn tortillas, gorditas, tamales, pupusas, and many other Latin American dishes. It is dried and powdered into a flour form called masa harina. Masa is reconstituted from masa harina by mixing with water before use in cooking.
Pozole is a traditional soup or stew from Mexican cuisine. It is made from hominy with meat, and can be seasoned and garnished with shredded lettuce or cabbage, chili peppers, onion, garlic, radishes, avocado, salsa or limes. Known in Mesoamerica since the pre-Colombian era, the stew is common across Mexico and neighboring countries, served both as a day-to-day meal and as a festive dish.
Champurrado is a chocolate-based atole, a warm and thick Mexican beverage. It is prepared with either a masa , masa harina, or corn flour ; piloncillo; water or milk; and occasionally containing cinnamon, anise seed, or vanilla. Ground nuts, orange zest, and egg can also be added to thicken and enrich the drink. Atole drinks are whipped up using a wooden whisk called a molinillo. The whisk is rolled between the palms of the hands, then moved back and forth in the mixture, until it is aerated and frothy; a blender may also be used.
Nixtamalization is a process for the preparation of maize, or other grain, in which the grain is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, usually limewater, washed, and then hulled. The term can also refer to the removal via an alkali process of the pericarp from other grains such as sorghum.
A hush puppy is a small, savory, deep-fried round ball made from cornmeal-based batter. Hushpuppies are frequently served as a side dish with seafood and other deep-fried foods.
Aztec cuisine is the cuisine of the former Aztec Empire and the Nahua peoples of the Valley of Mexico prior to European contact in 1519.
A flour tortilla or wheat tortilla is a type of soft, thin flatbread made from finely ground wheat flour. Made with flour- and water-based dough, it is pressed and cooked, similar to corn tortillas. The simplest recipes use only flour, water, fat, and salt, but commercially-made flour tortillas generally contain chemical leavening agents such as baking powder, and other ingredients.
A tortilleria, or tortilla bakery is a shop that produces and sells freshly made tortillas. Tortillerias are native to Mexico and Central America, and some are being established in some areas of the United States. Tortillerias usually sell corn tortillas by weight. The recipe for tortilla dough, called masa, has not changed since ancient times; it is corn which has been treated with slaked lime and water.
Mazamorra or masamorra is the name for numerous traditional dishes from the Iberian Peninsula and Hispanic America.
Mote is the generic name for several varieties of boiled grains, consumed in many regions of South America. It is usually prepared by boiling the grains in water made alkaline by the addition of ashes or lime, a process known as nixtamalization.
"Cacahuazintle" or "cacahuacintle" is the name of an old heirloom variety of white dent maize (corn) originating in Toluca, Mexico. It has a large ear with grains that are more white, round, and tender than the typical field corn grain. The dried grains are soaked and/or cooked in water with lime or wood ash, then rinsed thoroughly to remove the outer seed coat as well as any traces of the alkali salts —this is an ancient process called nixtamalization. This creates a fresh, wet hominy, which can be dried for later use or ground into a flour called masa. Masa can be used to make tortillas, tamales, atole, pozole, etc.
Binatog, also known as binatong itlog, bualaw or kinulti, is a Filipino boiled corn dessert topped with freshly grated coconut, butter, and salt or sugar. It is commonly sold as street food in the northern Philippines by vendors known as magbibinatog carrying characteristic large tin cans, similar to taho vendors.
