The First Historical Record Of The Corn Dates Back To 1665.

National Corn Day on July 16th encourages us to fry up a batch of these crispy, flavorful bites of corn and batter! Make them with fresh corn and the celebration will be even better! The corn fritter was invented in the South of the United States. This is a cuisine that is known for having a lot of deep fried foods. In southeastern America, traditional corn fritters will use melted , milk, flour, egg, and corn kernels. They can be baked, shallow fried, and deep fried. They can also be served with cream, honey, fruit, or jam. On the other side of the world, it was in the late 16th century that seeds made their way into Southeast Asia from America. This happened through Portuguese and Spanish traders. In , with the tropical climate, the plant thrived. Soon, it was a for the southeastern and central parts of Indonesia, which did not get a lot of rain. known in Indonesia where they are referred to as jagung or jagung. One bushel of corn weighs 56 pounds – more than a large bag of dog food. It takes about 1,300 kernels to make a pound of corn. Corn is America’s largest crop and accounts for more than 90 percent of the total value and production of feed grains. Family farmers grow 90 percent of America’s corn. The United States produces 40 percent of the world’s corn, more than any other country. In the United States, 87 percent of all the corn is grown utilizing only naturally occurring rainfall. Although corn fritters originated in the South, many other cultures have come up with similar dishes. For example, in Asia “pakoras” are a popular . This dish is made with vegetables dipped in batter that are then deep-fried. Corn Fritters are often mistaken for Johnny Cakes. Corn is also used in a whole bunch of non-food products. (Hand soaps, Windex, adhesives, varnish, paper, spark plugs and building materials). There are over 3,000 uses for corn products. Husks make brooms, baskets, dolls, , and stuffing for mattresses. Cobs can be fish bobs, fuel, scrub brushes, toilet paper, insulation, pipes, and bottle stoppers. is even more versatile, it is used in paint, papermaking, cosmetics, medicines, ink, film, toothpaste, plastics and many more items. The word ‘fritter’ comes from the Latin word ‘frigere’ which means ‘to fry’. A fritter applies to almost anything that is either prepared in batter, fried or baked. Enjoyed for centuries, the Romans were the first to relish the delicious taste of chickpea fritters at their lavish dinners. Corn is abundant and is actually grown on every continent except for Antarctica. The largest corn fritter ever recorded was 4 feet in diameter, 0.5 inches thick, and was made from 30 cobs of corn. The first historical record of the fritter dates back to 1665. Samuel Pepys, an Englishman who served as a Member of Parliament during the English Restoration period, noted in his diary that he would be enjoying some fritters before Lent! The Aztec Corn Goddess is Chicomecoatl. To the Aztec, Mayan and Incan peoples it is called mahiz, “our life.

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Days of the Year

Foodimentary Mobile-Cuisine

UCD Integrative Medicine

Cowtown Farmers Market

Indian Country Today