The missing Mexican ingredient and the Irish famine
One of the most catastrophic events of the 19th century was the Great Famine of Ireland, which began in 1845 with the blight of the potato crop, a staple of the working class. At that time Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, and most of the arable land was owned by absentee British landlords who used the native Irish as sharecroppers. The laborers were not allowed to consume the other grains or the cattle they raised, which were seized by Anglo managers for export to England. Thus the failure of the potato crop was catastrophic.
Weakened by starvation and unable to work the land, many were evicted for failure to pay rents; others died of hunger. Still others emigrated. Over a decade, Ireland’s population was reduced from 8.4 million, to 6.6 million, with half of those succumbing to death, the remainder emigrating to Canada and the United States, with many of them dying aboard ships packed with refugees before they reached the New World.
As thousands and then tens of thousands died weekly on the island, Prime Minister Robert Peel initially provided relief in the form of grain shipments. However, when he was replaced by a more conservative leader, these shipments were canceled. It became unofficial British policy to let the Irish population decline by natural causes since they were considered a rebellious and inferior people, in both religion (Catholicism) and race (Celtic).
In the United States, however, an increasing number of Irish immigrants became aware of the situation and implored help. Many charitable organizations responded. Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Quakers and even the Choctaw Tribe raised funds to finance shiploads of Indian corn to ship to the starving Irish. Shipload after shipload was received and ground in Irish mills to provide corn cakes and corn porridge.
Still, the native Irish continued to die. This time with full bellies. It was only in recent years that the cause would be understood.
A 2019 study of Irish famine victims uncovered that many died from malnutrition. Corn does relieve hunger, but, if not properly prepared, it can cause further degeneration of one’s health. In fact, it had a devastating effect on the Irish — especially on already frail and weak children. Many died from Vitamin B3 deficiency, resulting in pellagra, a deadly disease.
What the Irish did not know was that corn by itself could only provide proper nutrition if prepared in a certain way. The Mexican way. Native cultivators and cooks in Mexico had learned by trial and error over centuries the unique method of soaking the corn in lime, calcium hydroxide (pickling lime, not lime juice). This procedure facilitates removing the hull from the kernel, making it more amenable to corn dough or masa harina, and also releases nutrients like niacin, which prevents pellagra. The process, called nixtamalization, was soon learned by the Irish, but not before many children had died.
Today, Mexican-style tortillas are a popular food in Ireland, prepared the traditional way. From the popular Blanco Nino to boutique bakeries, Irish folks line up for them each day. They are not only delicious but rich in the nutrients so necessary for our health.