Corn, star in June celebrations
July 10, 2017 10h00 AM | Last Updated: July 18, 2017 04h06 PM
The traditional June celebrations extrapolate Catholic saint days and breaks into July – and even August! – with quadrilhas, fun and, of course, delicious typical food starred by corn. Hominy, couscous, mungunza, pamonha, green corn, popcorn and corn cake are only a few examples of delicacies made with this versatile grain.
The celebrations will be exciting this year, as the harvest estimate for 2017 is of a record production: of the 238.6 million tonnes of grains, 97 million tonnes of corn are expected, according to the Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production. Together with soybean, corn is responsible for the increase of 29.2% in the production of grains in relation to 2016, which was not a good year for corn due to droughts.
Corn is present in the regular diet of most Brazilians, as well as used in animal breeding. It is rich in potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamins and fibers, according to nutritionist Luiza Medina. But she reminds that corn is also rich in carbohydrates, so balancing its consumption with vegetables and seasonal fruits, like khaki and tangerine, would be healthier.
The major producers of corn grain in 2015 were: Mato Grosso (accounting for 25% of the overall production), Paraná (18.5%), Mato Grosso do Sul (11.4%), Goiás (11.2%), Minas Gerais (8%) and Rio Grande do Sul (6.5%), according to the Municipal Agricultural Production survey. Sorriso, Mato Grosso, is the city that leads the production of this cereal, accounting for 3.1% of the overall production.
Text: Marília Loschi
Image: Photos.com
