Corn and potatoes are two vegetables from the New World which are now part of the world's diet. There is hardly a corner of the world where these vegetables are not grown and eaten. Ironically, until the discovery of the Americas the world had not known of these two crops. These food items, however, were first harvested by the native Indians who lived on the land and were later introduced into Europe by the early explorers. The potato, however, is probably indigenous to the Andes and was not introduced into North America until 1621 when it was brought to Virginia from Bemuda.
Corn, a grain called maize, was cultivated long before the Europeans reached the New World. Native Americans raised many varieties; for example, sweet corn, popcorn, colored corn and corn for cornmeal. Corn can be eaten either fresh or ground for meal. As popular as it is for human consumption, it is used mainly as animal fodder in America. Corn is very versatile. It can be transformed into a myriad of different forms for daily consumption and finds its way on the table in a variety of offerings. Probably the most popular breakfast food in America is corn flakes with milk and sliced bananas. Gravies for most meats are made with corn starch and an evening dinner may well be complemented with corn bread or corn muffins. Corn is the base used for making bourbon, an alcoholic drink native to America. Corn is also an excellent source of nourishment and, like the potato can be stored for a long time.
The humble potato, like corn, is also prepared in a vast array of imaginative dishes. They can be baked, boiled, fried, mashed or scalloped. For breakfast what serving of eggs would be complete without a generous side order of hash browns? The potato can also be processed and dehydrated and made into a powdered form. The potato is probably even more popular than corn and its fame had spread from the Americas to become a staple food in other countries far removed from the New World. Potatoes like corn can be stored for a long period of time and in a processed, dehydrated form they can easily be prepared by just adding water and bringing to a boil. With its high carbohydrate content, the potato has become a staple for many Western countries. The Irish had become so dependent on the potato that they faced death and starvation during the potato famine of 1846-48. Ironically, this drove millions of them to emigrate to America, a land where the potato is indigenous.
Yet, corn and potatoes have become so much a staple of the American diet that hardly a day passes when one or the other of these foods is not consumed. Not only do they serve to complement to meat or fish portion of a dinner plate, but have been converted into those two most popular of all finger foods, the popcorn and the potato chip. What American can sit in front of a TV without a bag of potato chips or a bowl of freshly popped corn covered with melted butted and seasoned with salt?
Besides their utilitarian use as a staple of the American diet both corn and potatoes have been proven to be also high in nutrition. The potato for example, is an excellent source of starch needed for energy. Since most of the vitamins are near the skin, fried potato skins make a nutritious snack. They also contain a good supply of Vitamin C needed for good health.