Corn nuts,
Preparation
Corn nuts are prepared by soaking whole corn kernels in
water for three days, then
deep-frying them in oil until they are hard and brittle.
The kernels are soaked because they shrink during the harvesting and cleaning process, and rehydration returns them to their original size.
History
Originated in Peru and are called cancha, where they have been prepared for over 1,000 years and still are to this day. You can find them in Ecuador and Brazil as well.
Varieties and brands
CornNuts
Holloway later renamed his product CornNuts. After Holloway and his sons Maurice and Rich learned of a breed of corn grown in
Cusco (often referred to as
Cuzco corn) that grew large kernels (some said to have been bigger than a quarter), the company researched developing a hybrid of the Cusco corn that could be grown effectively in California. After a decade of research, the company introduced CornNuts made with the hybrid variety in 1964.
CornNuts sold on the market today are no longer of the large Cusco corn size.
The most popular brand, CornNuts was owned by Holloway's original family company until the company was purchased by Nabisco
Cornick
A
Filipino cuisine variant of corn nuts is cornick (). Compared to the American variety, cornick pieces are typically smaller and crispier. They are also traditionally made from
glutinous corn.
Garlic is the most common flavor of cornick, with other common flavors including: chili cheese, adobo,
barbecue, lechón manok (also known as roasted chicken), and sweet. Major brands include Boy Bawang (literally "Garlic Boy" in
Tagalog language, commonly sold in small packets), Corn Bits, and Safari.
A popular variety of cornick is the lighter, chicharrón-like chichacorn,[See also: nixtamalization]
Diana
Diana, a snack company in El Salvador, makes a variety of corn-nut-like snacks. These are called elotitos in Spanish, or
cornbits.
These come in a variety of seasonings, such as Lemon, Cheese and Chili, and Barbecue. These are sold throughout Central America.
Portugal and Spain
In both Portugal and Spain, corn nuts are often eaten as a popular snack.
In Spain, they are known as kikones, or maíz tostado ("toasted corn"), maíz frito ("fried corn"), quicos ("Frankies") and pepes ("Joes"), and in Portugal, they are sold under the name milho frito (fried corn).
The base flavor tends to be very salty. Some brands have barbecue versions available.
Recently, crushed corn nuts have been introduced in Spain as a cover for battering.
See also
External links
