PROCESSAMENTO ARTESANAL DO MILHO (Zea mays) SECO E VERDE

Abstract

Corn (Zea mays) is part of Brazil's food base. Originating in Mexico from the wild plant called teosinte, it spread across the American continent and was already consumed by native indigenous people when the portuguese colonizers arrived, both directly and processed in the form of flour. From the convergence and fusion of indigenous, african and portuguese cuisines, corn was placed in this food complex that has become permanent in the Brazilian territory, and today there are several derivative products and preparations from both the so-called dry grain and the green grain. The objective of this study was to register the processes involved in the processing of dry and green corn. The methodology used was an ethnobiographical case report being interviewed and accompanied by a farmer from the municipality of Puxinanã - Paraíba. The processes involved in the planting, harvesting and threshing of corn were described, highlighting the way of choosing the green and dry ears for use in the different processes. Of the processes in which dry corn is used, the processing of fuba, corn flour and its uses according to granulometry, “bolo de caco” also known as “orelha de pau”, xerém and corn starch have been described. Of the processes in which green corn is used, the preparation of canjica and pamonha have been described. From the described processes, it was observed that the traditional knowledge and practices of maize are partly preserved and partly modified both with regard to the use of other utensils and household appliances and in recipes. As for the formulations and processing steps, the preparations have remained unchanged, resembling the processes described by Câmara Cascudo and Josué de Castro, but some of the traditional utensils have been replaced by household appliances. The realization of more comprehensive studies and in traditional communities is necessary so that a deeper analysis of corn processing in Paraíba can be carried out.