North American Herb & Spice: FlaviCorn Since at least the first
century A.D. corn has been an essential part of human nutrition.
This was not the same as the corn grown today. It was completely
different and far more powerful. It was so important for the
nutrition of the ancients that it was revered. The natives,
particularly of South and Central America, knew that their
version of corn was more than just food. The Spanish made this
discovery and, according to J. Finan in his review Maize in the
Great Herbals, used it "as a healthful food." Of course, the
natives used the original corn for bread and also for wafers.
Yet, they also mixed it with eggs for a nutritious meal. Also,
they often mixed walnuts with ground corn or corn flour. This
would have helped balance the amino acids and fatty acids, as
well as balance the glycemic index. In Peru the natives
extracted highly nutritious oil from the kernels and used it in
cooking. Purple corn (Zea mays L., Poaceae) is a very unique
Andean crop from the low valleys