Crops

Corn (milho)

Corn being grown in Cuba (Photo by Frank Mangan)

Corn is a popular crop throughout the Americas. It originated in what is now Mexico and was grown throughout the Americas when the conquistadores arrived. Sweet corn, which is the dominant type of corn for human consumption in the Northeastern United States, is not common in Latin America.

In Cuba there are two types of corn grown, both of which are open pollinated varieties. One is called maíz criollo (national corn), which is the most common type planted. The second type is called gibara, which has a bigger ear than maíz criollo . They do grow popcorn varieties, but this is a small percentage of corn acreage.

When used in Cuban cuisine, corn is harvested when it is in the milk stage. If it goes beyond the milk stage then it is used for animal feed. It is used in several dishes with the most popular being Tamales (see photo). For this dish, and many others, the corn is ground up. Many markets will sell the corn ground or as a whole ear. It is also used in soups (guiso de maíz) among several other dishes.

In El Salvador, a white-colored corn is used, called maíz blanco. This is ground into flour to be used to make pupusas, a staple of the Salvadoran cuisine.

In Brazil, there are many dishes made with corn, including main dishes (e.g. cuscuz), and deserts (e.g. pamonha), ). As in other parts of Latin America, field corn types of corn are used instead of sweet corn varieties.

Production
Field corn varieties of corn would be most appropriate for the traditional Cuban dishes. Cuban farmers save seed from one harvest to plant the next.

For information on production and management corn, refer to the The New England Vegetable Management Guide and click on "corn, sweet".

Tamales wrapped in corn husks at market in Havana. (Photo by Frank Mangan)

Seed Sources
Any type of filed corn variety. Sweet corn varieties normally do not have the right consistency.

Corn for sale at a market in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Frank Mangan)