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{{Contains special characters|Cherokee}}{{other uses}} | {{Contains special characters|Cherokee}}{{other uses}} | ||
{{Infobox food | {{Infobox food | ||
| name | | name = Hominy | ||
| image | | image = Hominy (maize).JPG | ||
| image_size | | image_size = 250px | ||
| caption | | caption = A bowl of cooked hominy | ||
| place_of_origin | | place_of_origin = [[Mesoamerica]] | ||
| region | | region = [[Americas]] | ||
| creator | | creator = | ||
| course | | course = | ||
| type | | type = | ||
| served | | served = | ||
| main_ingredient | | main_ingredient = | ||
| minor_ingredient = Dried [[maize]] (corn) kernels, water, [[alkali]] | | minor_ingredient = Dried [[maize]] (corn) kernels, water, [[alkali]] | ||
| variations | | variations = | ||
| calories | | calories = | ||
| other | | other = | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Hominy''' is a food item produced from dried [[maize]] (corn) kernels that have been treated with an [[alkali]], in a process called [[nixtamalization]] ({{lang|nah|nextamalli}} is the [[Nahuatl]] word for "hominy"). "Lye hominy" is a type of hominy made with [[lye]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fussell |first1=Betty Harper |title=The Story of Corn |url=https://archive.org/details/storyofcorn0000fuss |url-access=registration | page=[https://archive.org/details/storyofcorn0000fuss/page/19 19] |publisher=University of New Mexico Press |access-date=25 July 2019|isbn=9780826335920 |year=2004 }}</ref> | '''Hominy''' is a Mesoamerican food item produced from dried [[maize]] (corn) kernels that have been treated with an [[alkali]], in a process called [[nixtamalization]] ({{lang|nah|nextamalli}} is the [[Nahuatl]] word for "hominy"). "Lye hominy" is a type of hominy made with [[lye]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fussell |first1=Betty Harper |title=The Story of Corn |url=https://archive.org/details/storyofcorn0000fuss |url-access=registration | page=[https://archive.org/details/storyofcorn0000fuss/page/19 19] |publisher=University of New Mexico Press |access-date=25 July 2019|isbn=9780826335920 |year=2004 }}</ref> The word "hominy" comes from the [[Powhatan language|Powhatan]] {{lang|pim|-homen}}, literally, "that treated (in the way specified)."<ref>{{cite dictionary |dictionary=Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary |access-date=14 February 2026 |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hominy |title=Hominy}}</ref> | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
{{main|Nixtamalization#History}} | {{main|Nixtamalization#History}} | ||
[[File:Dried Maize Mote from Oaxaca.png|thumb|right|Dried (uncooked form of) hominy. US [[Quarter (United States coin)|quarter]] and Mexican [[Mexican peso|one-peso]] coins pictured for scale.]]The process of nixtamalization has been fundamental to [[Mesoamerican cuisine]] since ancient times<!--1200 to 1500 BC-->. The [[lime (material)|lime]] used to treat the maize can be obtained from several different materials. Among the [[Lacandon people|Lacandon]] Maya who inhabited the tropical lowland regions of eastern [[Chiapas]], the [[Quicklime|caustic powder]] was obtained by toasting freshwater shells over a fire for several hours. In the highland areas of Chiapas and throughout much of the [[Yucatán Peninsula]], [[Belize River]] valley and [[Petén Basin]], [[limestone]] was used to make [[slaked lime]] for steeping the shelled kernels.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cheetham |first=David |title=Corn, Colanders, and Cooking: Early Maize Processing in the Maya Lowlands and Its Implications |publisher=Springer-Verlag |page=346}}</ref> The [[Maya civilization|Maya]] used nixtamal to produce beers that more resembled ''[[chicha]]'' than ''[[pulque]]''. When bacteria were introduced to nixtamal it created a type of [[sourdough]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Jeffrey M. Pilcher |title=Maize and the Making of Mexico |page=30}}</ref> | [[File:Dried Maize Mote from Oaxaca.png|thumb|right|Dried (uncooked form of) hominy. US [[Quarter (United States coin)|quarter]] and Mexican [[Mexican peso|one-peso]] coins pictured for scale.]]The process of nixtamalization has been fundamental to [[Mesoamerican cuisine]] since ancient times<!--1200 to 1500 BC-->. The [[lime (material)|lime]] used to treat the maize can be obtained from several different materials. Among the [[Lacandon people|Lacandon]] Maya who inhabited the tropical lowland regions of eastern [[Chiapas]], the [[Quicklime|caustic powder]] was obtained by toasting freshwater shells over a fire for several hours. In the highland areas of Chiapas and throughout much of the [[Yucatán Peninsula]], [[Belize River]] valley and [[Petén Basin]], [[limestone]] was used to make [[slaked lime]] for steeping the shelled kernels.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cheetham |first=David |title=Corn, Colanders, and Cooking: Early Maize Processing in the Maya Lowlands and Its Implications |publisher=Springer-Verlag |page=346}}</ref> The [[Maya civilization|Maya]] used nixtamal to produce beers that more resembled ''[[chicha]]'' than ''[[pulque]]''. When bacteria were introduced to nixtamal it created a type of [[sourdough]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Jeffrey M. Pilcher |title=Maize and the Making of Mexico |page=30}}</ref> | ||
The process of nixtamalization spread from Mesoamerica northwards through various indigenous tribes of North America. European settlers first encountered the dish in eastern North America, with the word hominy being an [[Anglicisation|anglicization]] of the [[Powhatan language|Powhatan]] word ''rokahamĕn.''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Gomez-Misserian |first=Gabriela |date=2022-12-13 |title=Wood Ash Hominy: From Indigenous Nourishment to Southern Shame to Chef Secret |url=https://gardenandgun.com/articles/wood-ash-hominy-from-indigenous-nourishment-to-southern-shame-to-chef-secret/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Garden & Gun |language=en-US}}</ref> | The process of nixtamalization spread from Mesoamerica northwards through various indigenous tribes of North America. European settlers first encountered the dish in eastern North America, with the word hominy being an [[Anglicisation|anglicization]] of the [[Powhatan language|Powhatan]] word ''rokahamĕn.''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Gomez-Misserian |first=Gabriela |date=2022-12-13 |title=Wood Ash Hominy: From Indigenous Nourishment to Southern Shame to Chef Secret |url=https://gardenandgun.com/articles/wood-ash-hominy-from-indigenous-nourishment-to-southern-shame-to-chef-secret/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Garden & Gun |language=en-US}}</ref> | ||
==Production== | ==Production== | ||
To make hominy, mature dry [[field corn]] (maize) is treated by soaking and cooking the grain in a dilute solution of [[lye]] or [[lime (material)|lime]]. The alkaline solution dissolves [[hemicellulose]], the major adhesive component of the grain's cell walls, which loosens the hulls from the kernels and softens the corn. Also, soaking the corn in lye or lime kills the seed's [[Cereal germ|germ]], which keeps it from sprouting while in storage. Finally, in addition to providing a source of dietary [[calcium]], the lye or lime reacts with the corn so that the nutrient [[Niacin (nutrient)|niacin]] can be assimilated by the digestive tract.<ref>{{cite book|author=Fussell, Betty H.|title=The Story of Corn|date=1992|page=204|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iAsQ0Pn1_0MC&pg=PA204 |publisher=UNM Press|isbn=9780826335920}}</ref> People consume hominy in intact kernels | To make hominy, mature dry [[field corn]] (maize) is treated by soaking and cooking the grain in a dilute solution of [[lye]] or [[lime (material)|lime]]. The alkaline solution dissolves [[hemicellulose]], the major adhesive component of the grain's cell walls, which loosens the hulls from the kernels and softens the corn. Also, soaking the corn in lye or lime kills the seed's [[Cereal germ|germ]], which keeps it from sprouting while in storage. Finally, in addition to providing a source of dietary [[calcium]], the lye or lime reacts with the corn so that the nutrient [[Niacin (nutrient)|niacin]] can be assimilated by the digestive tract.<ref>{{cite book|author=Fussell, Betty H.|title=The Story of Corn|date=1992|page=204|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iAsQ0Pn1_0MC&pg=PA204 |publisher=UNM Press|isbn=9780826335920}}</ref> People consume hominy in intact kernels or grind it into sand-sized particles for [[grits]] or into [[flour]]. | ||
In [[Mexican cuisine]], hominy is finely ground to make [[masa]] (Spanish for ''dough''). Fresh masa that has been dried and powdered is called ''masa seca'' or ''masa harina''. Some of the corn oil breaks down into [[emulsifying agent]]s ([[monoglyceride]]s and [[diglyceride]]s) | In [[Mexican cuisine]], hominy is finely ground to make [[masa]] (Spanish for ''dough''). Fresh masa that has been dried and powdered is called ''masa seca'' or ''masa harina''. Some of the corn oil breaks down into [[emulsifying agent]]s ([[monoglyceride]]s and [[diglyceride]]s) and facilitates bonding the corn [[protein]]s to each other. The [[divalent]] calcium in lime acts as a cross-linking agent for protein and [[polysaccharide]] [[acidic]] side chains. [[Cornmeal]] from untreated ground corn cannot form a dough with the addition of water, but the chemical changes in masa (a.k.a. ''masa nixtamalera'') make dough formation possible, for [[tortilla]]s and other food. | ||
==Recipes== | ==Recipes== | ||
In Mexican cuisine, people cook masa nixtamalera with water to make a thick, [[gruel]]-like beverage called {{lang|es|[[atole]]}}. When they make it with chocolate and sugar, it becomes {{lang|es|atole de chocolate}}. Adding [[anise]] and [[piloncillo]] to this mix creates {{lang|es|[[champurrado]]}}, a popular breakfast drink. | In Mexican cuisine, people cook masa nixtamalera with water to make a thick, [[gruel]]-like beverage called {{lang|es|[[atole]]}}. When they make it with chocolate and sugar, it becomes {{lang|es|atole de chocolate}}. Adding [[anise]] and [[piloncillo]] to this mix creates {{lang|es|[[champurrado]]}}, a popular breakfast drink. | ||
The English term ''hominy'' derives from the [[Powhatan language]] word for prepared maize<ref>{{cite web |last=Galiano |first=Amanda |title=Southern Slang: G-P |url=http://littlerock.about.com/cs/southernlife/a/aasouthslang_2.htm |work=About.com |access-date=17 November 2013 |archive-date=11 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111085941/http://littlerock.about.com/cs/southernlife/a/aasouthslang_2.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> (cf. [[Chickahominy people|Chickahominy]]). Many other [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indigenous American]] cultures also made hominy | The English term ''hominy'' derives from the [[Powhatan language]] word for prepared maize<ref>{{cite web |last=Galiano |first=Amanda |title=Southern Slang: G-P |url=http://littlerock.about.com/cs/southernlife/a/aasouthslang_2.htm |work=About.com |access-date=17 November 2013 |archive-date=11 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111085941/http://littlerock.about.com/cs/southernlife/a/aasouthslang_2.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> (cf. [[Chickahominy people|Chickahominy]]). Many other [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indigenous American]] cultures have also made hominy and integrated it into their diets. The [[Cherokee]], for example, made hominy [[grits]] by soaking corn in a weak lye solution produced by [[leaching (chemistry)|leaching]] hardwood ash with water and then beating it with a {{lang|chr-Latn|kanona}} ({{lang|chr-Cher|ᎧᏃᎾ}}), or corn beater.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hominy Soup #3 (Gv-No-He-Nv A-Ma-Gi-i) |url=http://www.wisdomkeepers.org/nativeway/soup/nwsh0004.html |work=Native Way Cookbook |publisher=Wisdom Keepers, Inc. |access-date=17 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426080317/http://www.wisdomkeepers.org/nativeway/soup/nwsh0004.html |archive-date=26 April 2009 }}</ref> They used grits to make a traditional hominy soup ({{lang|chr-Latn|gvnohenv amagii}} {{lang|chr-Cher|ᎬᏃᎮᏅ ᎠᎹᎩᎢ}}) that they let ferment ({{lang|chr-Latn|gvwi sida amagii}} {{lang|chr-Cher|ᎬᏫ ᏏᏓ ᎠᎹᎩᎢ}}),<ref>{{cite web|title=Hominy Soup #1 (Gv-Wi Si-Da A-Ma-Gi-i) |url=http://www.wisdomkeepers.org/nativeway/soup/nwsh0002.html |work=Native Way Cookbook |publisher=Wisdom Keepers, Inc. |access-date=17 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626160424/http://www.wisdomkeepers.org/nativeway/soup/nwsh0002.html |archive-date=June 26, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[cornbread]], [[dumpling]]s ({{lang|chr-Latn|digunvi}} {{lang|chr-Cher|ᏗᎫᏅᎢ}}),<ref>{{cite web |title=Dumplings, Lye (Di-Gu-Nv-I) |url=http://www.wisdomkeepers.org/nativeway/breads/nwbd0002.html |work=Native Way Cookbook |publisher=Wisdom Keepers, Inc. |access-date=17 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001102222919/http://www.wisdomkeepers.org/nativeway/breads/nwbd0002.html |archive-date=2 November 2000 }}</ref> or, in post-contact times, fried with [[bacon]] and [[scallion|green onions]]. | ||
Hominy recipes include {{lang|es|[[pozole]]}} (a Mexican stew of hominy and pork, chicken, or other meat), hominy bread, hominy chili, hog 'n' hominy, casseroles and fried dishes. In Latin America there is a variety of dishes referred to as {{lang|es|[[mote (food)|mote]]}}. Hominy can be ground coarsely for grits, or into a fine mash dough ({{lang|es|[[masa]]}}) used extensively in [[Latin American cuisine]]. Many islands in the West Indies, notably Jamaica, also use hominy (known as [[cornmeal]] or ''polenta'', though different from Italian [[polenta]]) to make a sort of porridge with corn starch or flour to thicken the mixture and [[condensed milk]], vanilla, and [[nutmeg]]. In the Philippines, hominy (made from a local [[waxy corn]] cultivar {{langx|tl|[[lagkitan]]}}) is the main component of dessert [[binatog]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Simpas |first1=Jica |title=6 Types of Philippine Corn (Mais) |url=https://pepper.ph/blog/6-types-philippine-corn-mais |website=Pepper |access-date=Oct 11, 2023}}</ref> | Hominy recipes include {{lang|es|[[pozole]]}} (a Mexican stew of hominy and pork, chicken, or other meat), hominy bread, hominy chili, hog 'n' hominy, casseroles and fried dishes. In Latin America there is a variety of dishes referred to as {{lang|es|[[mote (food)|mote]]}}. Hominy can be ground coarsely for grits, or into a fine mash dough ({{lang|es|[[masa]]}}) used extensively in [[Latin American cuisine]]. Many islands in the West Indies, notably Jamaica, also use hominy (known as [[cornmeal]] or ''polenta'', though different from Italian [[polenta]]) to make a sort of porridge with corn starch or flour to thicken the mixture and [[condensed milk]], vanilla, and [[nutmeg]]. In the Philippines, hominy (made from a local [[waxy corn]] cultivar {{langx|tl|[[lagkitan]]}}) is the main component of dessert [[binatog]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Simpas |first1=Jica |title=6 Types of Philippine Corn (Mais) |url=https://pepper.ph/blog/6-types-philippine-corn-mais |website=Pepper |access-date=Oct 11, 2023}}</ref> | ||
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{{nutritionalvalue | {{nutritionalvalue | ||
| name = Hominy, white, canned | | name = Hominy, white, canned | ||
| kJ = | | kJ = 301 | ||
| water = 82.5 g | | water = 82.5 g | ||
| protein = 1.48 g | | protein = 1.48 g | ||
| fat = 0.88 g | | fat = 0.88 g | ||
| kcal = 72 | |||
| carbs = 14.3 g | | carbs = 14.3 g | ||
| fiber = 2.5 g | | fiber = 2.5 g | ||
| sugars = 1.51 g | | sugars = 1.51 g | ||
| starch = | | starch = | ||
| calcium_mg = 10 | | calcium_mg = 10 | ||
| iron_mg = 0.62 | | iron_mg = 0.62 | ||
Latest revision as of 20:38, 5 April 2026
Hominy is a Mesoamerican food item produced from dried maize (corn) kernels that have been treated with an alkali, in a process called nixtamalization (nextamalli is the Nahuatl word for "hominy"). "Lye hominy" is a type of hominy made with lye.[1] The word "hominy" comes from the Powhatan -homen, literally, "that treated (in the way specified)."[2]
History
The process of nixtamalization has been fundamental to Mesoamerican cuisine since ancient times. The lime used to treat the maize can be obtained from several different materials. Among the Lacandon Maya who inhabited the tropical lowland regions of eastern Chiapas, the caustic powder was obtained by toasting freshwater shells over a fire for several hours. In the highland areas of Chiapas and throughout much of the Yucatán Peninsula, Belize River valley and Petén Basin, limestone was used to make slaked lime for steeping the shelled kernels.[3] The Maya used nixtamal to produce beers that more resembled chicha than pulque. When bacteria were introduced to nixtamal it created a type of sourdough.[4]
The process of nixtamalization spread from Mesoamerica northwards through various indigenous tribes of North America. European settlers first encountered the dish in eastern North America, with the word hominy being an anglicization of the Powhatan word rokahamĕn.[5]
Production
To make hominy, mature dry field corn (maize) is treated by soaking and cooking the grain in a dilute solution of lye or lime. The alkaline solution dissolves hemicellulose, the major adhesive component of the grain's cell walls, which loosens the hulls from the kernels and softens the corn. Also, soaking the corn in lye or lime kills the seed's germ, which keeps it from sprouting while in storage. Finally, in addition to providing a source of dietary calcium, the lye or lime reacts with the corn so that the nutrient niacin can be assimilated by the digestive tract.[6] People consume hominy in intact kernels or grind it into sand-sized particles for grits or into flour.
In Mexican cuisine, hominy is finely ground to make masa (Spanish for dough). Fresh masa that has been dried and powdered is called masa seca or masa harina. Some of the corn oil breaks down into emulsifying agents (monoglycerides and diglycerides) and facilitates bonding the corn proteins to each other. The divalent calcium in lime acts as a cross-linking agent for protein and polysaccharide acidic side chains. Cornmeal from untreated ground corn cannot form a dough with the addition of water, but the chemical changes in masa (a.k.a. masa nixtamalera) make dough formation possible, for tortillas and other food.
Recipes
In Mexican cuisine, people cook masa nixtamalera with water to make a thick, gruel-like beverage called atole. When they make it with chocolate and sugar, it becomes atole de chocolate. Adding anise and piloncillo to this mix creates champurrado, a popular breakfast drink.
The English term hominy derives from the Powhatan language word for prepared maize[7] (cf. Chickahominy). Many other Indigenous American cultures have also made hominy and integrated it into their diets. The Cherokee, for example, made hominy grits by soaking corn in a weak lye solution produced by leaching hardwood ash with water and then beating it with a kanona (ᎧᏃᎾ), or corn beater.[8] They used grits to make a traditional hominy soup (gvnohenv amagii ᎬᏃᎮᏅ ᎠᎹᎩᎢ) that they let ferment (gvwi sida amagii ᎬᏫ ᏏᏓ ᎠᎹᎩᎢ),[9] cornbread, dumplings (digunvi ᏗᎫᏅᎢ),[10] or, in post-contact times, fried with bacon and green onions.
Hominy recipes include pozole (a Mexican stew of hominy and pork, chicken, or other meat), hominy bread, hominy chili, hog 'n' hominy, casseroles and fried dishes. In Latin America there is a variety of dishes referred to as mote. Hominy can be ground coarsely for grits, or into a fine mash dough (masa) used extensively in Latin American cuisine. Many islands in the West Indies, notably Jamaica, also use hominy (known as cornmeal or polenta, though different from Italian polenta) to make a sort of porridge with corn starch or flour to thicken the mixture and condensed milk, vanilla, and nutmeg. In the Philippines, hominy (made from a local waxy corn cultivar Template:Langx) is the main component of dessert binatog.[11]
Rockihominy, a popular trail food in the 19th and early 20th centuries, is dried corn, roasted to a golden brown, then ground to a very coarse meal, almost like hominy grits. Hominy is also used as animal feed.[12]
Nutrition
Canned hominy (drained) is composed of 83% water, 14% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and 1% fat (table). In a 100-gram serving, hominy provide 72 calories and is a good source (10–19% of the Daily Value) of zinc. Hominy also supplies dietary fiber. Other nutrients are in low amounts (table).[13]
See also
 |
Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on |
| File:Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg | Look up hominy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
References
- ↑ Fussell, Betty Harper (2004). The Story of Corn. University of New Mexico Press. p. 19. ISBN 9780826335920. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ↑ "Hominy". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ↑ Cheetham, David. Corn, Colanders, and Cooking: Early Maize Processing in the Maya Lowlands and Its Implications. Springer-Verlag. p. 346.
- ↑ Jeffrey M. Pilcher. Maize and the Making of Mexico. p. 30.
- ↑ Gomez-Misserian, Gabriela (2022-12-13). "Wood Ash Hominy: From Indigenous Nourishment to Southern Shame to Chef Secret". Garden & Gun. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
- ↑ Fussell, Betty H. (1992). The Story of Corn. UNM Press. p. 204. ISBN 9780826335920.
- ↑ Galiano, Amanda. "Southern Slang: G-P". About.com. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
- ↑ "Hominy Soup #3 (Gv-No-He-Nv A-Ma-Gi-i)". Native Way Cookbook. Wisdom Keepers, Inc. Archived from the original on 26 April 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
- ↑ "Hominy Soup #1 (Gv-Wi Si-Da A-Ma-Gi-i)". Native Way Cookbook. Wisdom Keepers, Inc. Archived from the original on June 26, 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
- ↑ "Dumplings, Lye (Di-Gu-Nv-I)". Native Way Cookbook. Wisdom Keepers, Inc. Archived from the original on 2 November 2000. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
- ↑ Simpas, Jica. "6 Types of Philippine Corn (Mais)". Pepper. Retrieved Oct 11, 2023.
- ↑ Marshall, Jo. "Hominy an early gift from Native Americans to Europeans". Corvallis Gazette Times. Retrieved 2021-02-28.
- ↑ "Hominy, canned, white". usda.gov. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2022.