The Story of Corn

For many years corn was only known in the Americas, now it is the most important grain in the world after wheat. When Columbus was traveling to search for new lands, he stumbled upon the island of Cuba and found native Indians that raised corn. In America we know the plant as corn whereas in Spanish-speaking countries it is called maize. The corn stalk itself has obvious features like the coarse leaves and its grown height. A corn stalk can range from 3 to 15 feet tall. The corn itself is consisted of kernels that are aligned in rows. The string-like hairs are known as silks. The silks, pistils, and tassels are functioned to release pollen so the wind is able to carry it. Corn has many useful benefits for humans as well as livestock and certain animal diets. There are several thousand kinds of corn known but the most well-known is the yellow sweet corn that we enjoy during the Thanksgiving holiday. The 6 main types of corn is the dent, flint, sweet, flour, waxy, and popcorn. Each of these types of corn have their own unique textures and flavor. The dent corn is what is most common in the United States known for its dent at the top of the kernel. The reason for the developing dent is from the unequal drying of the starches within the kernel. Corn with a hard exterior coating of the kernel is known as flint corn and is mainly used for livestock food as well as the dent corn. The most popular is the sweet corn. It has many uses including being used as popcorn and can be also grinded into flour. Waxy corn can be an ingredient in puddings as a thickener. It is different because of the substance in the kernels and have a wax-like appearance to them. The reason why corn is abundant in most areas because they are easy to raise and grow within areas that maintain average rainfall and temperatures from 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit. In America, corn is grown in Ohio, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Missouri and all the states between them. These states have the necessary environments