Maize is a gigantic domesticated grass of tropical Mexican origin. The plant is used to produce grain and fodder that are the basis of a number of food, feed, pharmaceutical and industrial manufactures. Cultivation of maize and the elaboration of its food products are inextricably bound with the rise of pre-Colombian Mesoamerican civilizations. Due to its adaptability and productivity the culture of maize spread rapidly around the globe after Spaniards and other Europeans exported the plant from the Americas in the 15th and 16th centuries. Maize is currently produced in most countries of the world and is the third most planted field crop (after wheat and rice). In contrast to rice, corn is primarily a New World staple, first cultivated by the Indians of South, Central and North America. Corn contains phytosterols and is a good source of protein and high in vitamin E. When combined with dried beans and green vegetables, corn provided sound nutrition for the Indians. In fact, corn bread and beans are the main sources of protein and carbohydrates in traditional Mexican diets.
Throughout Europe, "corn" has always been the generic name for any of the cereal grains. Europeans call corn "maize", a derivative of the early American Indian word mahiz. In fact, before settlers came to the New World Europeans had never seen this food — called Indian corn by colonists. What a wonderfully versatile and useful gift the Indians gave the world. Everything on the corn plant can be used: the husks for tamales, the silk for medicinal tea, the kernels for food and the stalks for fodder.
As far as is known, maize arrived in Africa sometime after the early 1500's. It quickly spread and is now common throughout the continent. In Africa, maize is often ground into meal (mealie-meal) which is then made into Fufu-like staples such as Fufu, Banku & Kenkey, Nshima, Ugali, and Sadza, that are eaten with sauces, soups, and stews. In Eastern Africa it is used in Irio. Boiled corn is sometimes prepared at home. Grilled corn on the cob, Maïs grillé in French-speaking Africa, is often available from street-vendors as a sort of African fast food.
Horticulturists developed the two most popular varieties today — white (Country Gentleman) and yellow (Golden Bantam) corn. Yellow corn has larger, fuller-flavored kernels; white corn kernels are smaller and sweeter. The hybrid butter and sugar corn produces ears of yellow and white kernels. As soon as it's picked, the corn's sugar immediately begins its gradual conversion to starch which, in turn, lessens the corn's natural sweetness.
Maize in Indonesia is the second most important cereal crop after rice with about 19 per cent of the total area planted to food crops during 1970-2000. Around 89 per cent of maize is grown on rain-fed lowland and dry land with erratic rainfall and low fertility. This means that maize is mainly grown in marginal areas with low productivity. This agro ecosystem is also an environment where poor farmers, with smallholdings and limited resources, are living. Their farms are spread over remote areas with poor communication facilities and little access to information. Moreover, in East Java, East Nusa Tenggara, North Sulawesi, South-East Sulawesi, and Irian Jaya, maize is consumed as a staple food as well as rice.
In general, maize consumption in Indonesia can be grouped into four categories namely: (1) direct human consumption, (2) feed industry, (3) food industry, and (4) other usage (seed, loss, etc.). FAO data indicates that the share of maize demand for direct food to the total domestic demand declined dramatically from about 68 per cent in 1970 to around 7 per cent in 2001. In contrast, maize demand for feed increased steadily at an average rate of 6.4 per cent per year during 1970-2001, although during the Asian monetary crisis (1997-2001) it declined by nearly 5 per cent per year.
Increases and decreases in maize demand for the feed industry are highly determined by the performance of the poultry industry. During the crisis, the poultry industry collapsed, thus the demand for feed and therefore maize declined significantly.
References:
Swastika, Dewa K.S., “Developing Maize for Improving Poor Farmers' Income in Indonesia”, in CGPRT Flash: vol. II No. 4, 2004. Online: http://www.uncapsa.org/Flash/flash0404.pdf
Other sources:
http://www.answers.com/topic/maize-1
http://www.congocookbook.com/
http://www.petpepup.com/ingredients/corn.shtml
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