Peruvian corn facts for kids
Choclo is a special type of corn grown in the Andes mountains of South America. It is also known as Peruvian corn or Cuzco corn. This name comes from Cusco, which was once the capital city of the powerful Inca Empire.
Unlike the sweet corn you might be used to, choclo has very large kernels. It is a type of field corn, which means it's usually grown for animal feed or other products, not typically for humans. However, choclo is different! It has a mild flavor and is perfect for people to eat.
You can find choclo in countries like Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia. People eat it when the corn ears are young and tender, or they cook it when the ears are more grown.
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What Makes Choclo Different?
When you compare choclo to sweet corn, you'll notice a few things. Choclo kernels are much bigger and have a chewy texture. They taste starchy and hearty, not sweet like regular corn. Its flavor and look are a bit like hominy, which is another type of corn product.
How Choclo is Used
Choclo is a popular ingredient in many South American dishes:
- In Bolivia, it's used to make humitas, which are like tamales made from fresh corn.
- In Colombia, people use it to make choclo arepas, a type of flatbread.
- It's also a key ingredient in pastel de choclo, a delicious corn pie.
Most choclo you see is white.
The Meaning of the Word
The word choclo comes from the choccllo in the Quechua languages. Quechua was the language spoken by the Inca people. Over time, in Spanish, choclo started to mean corn cobs in general, not just this specific type.
Choclo in Peru
In Peru, choclo is often served with famous dishes like ceviche. Ceviche is a seafood dish marinated in citrus juices. You'll often find toasted, salted choclo kernels, similar to corn nuts, given to you for free when you sit down at a restaurant.
Whole ears of choclo are also a very popular street food in Peru and other Andean countries. They are usually served with a slice of cheese. This snack is called choclo con queso (corn with cheese). It's a quick and tasty snack, much like corn on the cob is popular in other parts of Latin America. You might also hear about elote, which is another type of corn on the cob snack.
In Argentina and Chile, the word choclo can simply mean common corn.
See also
In Spanish: Variedades peruanas de maíz para niños
