Starches are carbohydrates that derive from plants and are formed through photosynthesis by accumulating in seeds, roots and tubers which are then ground to obtain a kind of flour. The types of starch used in cooking are different but the best known include corn starch (or cornflour), potato starch, rice starch, wheat starch and tapioca. Ar.pa Lieviti, a historic company from Ozzano dell'Emilia (BO), offers corn starch among its products, useful as a thickener for delicious spoon desserts or custard, but also for sauces, soups and vegetable creams . Furthermore, this starch can also be used to make crunchy frying breadings.
While it is true that today corn starch is a widely used and well-known ingredient throughout the world, in reality it was not always like this. Originally from Mexico and already used thousands of years ago by pre-Columbian civilizations, it spread to Europe only after the discovery of the Americas. The etymology of the word "corn" seems to come from the term mahiz , used by the indigenous people of the American continent such as the Maya, Incas and Aztecs to indicate the plant from which they derived most of their sustenance.
The cultivation of corn then spread to Europe around the 16th and 17th centuries, thanks to the favorable climate of countries such as Spain, Italy, France and the Balkans. It seems that for a long time, corn remained a secondary crop in Europe, until its production potential, the increase in population and the famines of the following century brought this cereal into vogue, which is now among the most cultivated. In fact, currently, among the major producers of this plant there are American countries such as the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico which represent around 50% of global production, but also China and the European Union.
The yellow corn grain is very versatile and in fact can be used to prepare numerous dishes, from the famous polenta to popcorn, biscuits and corn flakes for breakfast. Furthermore, corn is also grown as a feed base in animal farming, as a biofuel or as a biodegradable material capable of replacing plastic.
In short, a cereal with a thousand potentials!