At the beginning of its introduction, corn was not included in the grain and was regarded as a rare thing. Tian Yiheng (1522 ~ 1620) in Wan Jia in the Ming Dynasty said in his book Liu Qing Ri Za: "Yumai came from the west, formerly known as Fanmai, and was named Yumai because he had joined the imperial army." Until the Qianlong period, it was also royal. At that time, the "Shengjing Tongzhi" recorded that corn was "the tribute powder of the Ministry of Internal Affairs".
In the literary work Jin Ping Mei Zuo Ci in the Ming Dynasty, it was recorded that "Roasted Goose Meat" and "Steamed Cake with Corn Flour and Rosehip" were delicious dishes hosted by Ximen Qing, a rich man. /kloc-In the middle of the 0/8th century, it was recorded in Zhen 'anzhi in Guangxi that corn was listed as "Gallium" at the beginning of its introduction. From the middle of18th century to the beginning of19th century, corn began to be popularized on a large scale in China. During this period, due to the increasingly acute contradictions in feudal society, a large number of farmers lost their land and went into exile in mountainous areas. Imported corn is especially suitable for mountain planting.
According to the statistics of many local chronicles, famous Qing historians recorded Zhili, Shengjing, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, Hubei, Henan, Anhui, Jiangxi and Fujian successively during the period from Qianlong to Daoguang (1736 ~ 1850).
Main uses:
1, eat directly. Corn is one of the most important foods in the world. At present, about one-third of the world's population takes corn as the main food, of which corn accounts for 50% of Asian food composition, more than 90%, 25% in Africa and 40% in Latin America. The protein content of corn is higher than that of rice, the fat content is higher than that of flour, rice and millet, and the calories are higher than that of flour, rice and sorghum. However, corn is an important food because it has big grains, bad taste and stickiness. In cities and more developed areas, corn is an indispensable food to adjust the taste. With the development of corn processing industry, the edible quality of corn has been continuously improved, and new corn foods such as corn flakes, corn flour, corn residue, special corn flour and instant corn have been produced, which can be further made into noodles, bread, biscuits and so on. Corn can also be processed into corn protein, corn oil, monosodium glutamate, soy sauce, liquor and so on. These products sell well in both domestic and foreign markets.
2. Feed use. Corn is the king of feed. It is reported that the feeding value of 100 kg corn is equivalent to 135 kg oat, 120 kg sorghum or 150 kg indica rice. The feed with corn as the main component can be exchanged for 1 kg of meat every 2~3 kg, and the by-product straw of corn can also be made into silage. About 65-70% of corn in the world is used as feed, and 80% in developed countries, which is an important foundation for the development of animal husbandry.
3, industrial processing purposes. Corn kernels are important industrial raw materials, and two or three hundred kinds of products can be produced by primary processing and deep processing. Primary processed products and by-products can be used as basic raw materials for further processing and utilization, and a variety of products can be made in industrial production such as food, chemical industry, fermentation, medicine, textile and paper making. Corn cob can produce furfural. In addition, corn stalks and corncobs can also be planted to produce edible fungi, and bracts can be woven into baskets, carpets, carpets and other handicrafts, which are exported at home and abroad.
(1) Corn starch: Corn plays an important role in starch production. Most of the starch in the world is produced from corn, while some countries such as the United States use corn as raw material. In order to meet people's requirements for the quantity and quality of corn starch, the processing technology of corn starch has made remarkable development. Especially in developed countries, corn starch processing has developed into an important industrial production industry.
(2) Fermentation processing of corn: Corn provides rich and economical carbohydrates for fermentation industry. Glucose produced by enzymolysis is a good raw material for fermentation industry. Processing by-products such as corn syrup and starch syrup can be used in fermentation industry to produce alcohol and beer.
(3) Sugar production from corn: With the development of science and technology, the sugar production industry with starch as raw material is on the rise, and its variety, output and application range are greatly increased, among which the sugar production industry with corn as raw material is particularly eye-catching. Experts predict that corn sugar will account for 50% of the sweetness market in the future, and corn will become the main raw material for sugar production.
(4) Corn oil: Corn oil is a vegetable oil made from corn germ, which is mainly composed of unsaturated fatty acids. Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid and a component of human cells. It can be combined with cholesterol in human body, showing fluidity and normal metabolism, and has the function of preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis. The sitosterol in corn oil has cholesterol-lowering effect, is rich in vitamin E, has antioxidant effect, can prevent and treat dry eye, night blindness, dermatitis, bronchiectasis and other functions, and has certain anti-cancer effect. Corn oil is also popular because of its high nutritional value, good taste and not easy to deteriorate.
References:
Baidu encyclopedia entry corn