Mexico produces 24 thousand tons of corn for pozole annually

Production of the main ingredient of pozole, cacahuazintle corn, during 2020 was around 24 thousand tons, mainly in the states of Mexico and Morelos.

Mexico produces 24 thousand tons of corn for pozole annually
Corn field. Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay

The production of the main ingredient of pozole, cacahuazintle corn, during 2020 was around 24 thousand tons, mainly in the states of Mexico and Morelos, informed the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader).

It detailed that this is one of the 64 corn breeds registered by the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (Conabio), whose characteristics stand out for their sweet flavor, soft texture, floury consistency and large grain, informed the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development.

When boiled, its kernels open on their own like a flower and release foam. The primary use of cacahuazintle is the preparation of pozole. The Nahuatl name for this dish is pozolli, which means frothy.

In 2020, production increased 11.4 percent over the previous year, totaling 23,706 tons. The State of Mexico reached the highest volume with 11,534 tons, followed by Morelos with 11,088 and Puebla with 765 tons. The area harvested that year was 7,199 hectares.

In the State of Mexico, cacahuazintle was originally planted in the Toluca Valley and is mainly used to prepare pozole, elotes, esquites, pinole, atoles, cookies and flour.

This is a single-season product, with an average yield of three tons per hectare, and about 50 percent of the harvest is used for local consumption and the rest is marketed. This breed of corn is highly nutritious, providing proteins, fats, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, potassium and vitamins A, E and B3.