[pct-l] The corn pasta difference

[blisterfree@surfree.com (Brett Tucker)]

I'd like to offer a kernel of wisdom regarding the corn pasta thread. The
reason Jardine previously recommended corn pasta over other kinds of pasta
had to do with two specific differences. One, and most importantly, was a
difference in manufacture: corn pasta - previously - was manufactured
entirely by small-time companies, of which the ones Jardine was familiar
used the entire grain of corn, including the bran. Other types of pasta,
particularly the ubiquitous durum semolina (white pasta), use only the
endosperm - not the bran or germ - and this is mostly starch. It lacks
nutrition. So corn pasta offered a nutritional advantage due to the quality
of production. However this may no longer be the case since most if not all
the corn pasta makers have gone big-time and have ceased using the whole
grain. And we can no longer rely on corn pasta to ever offer this advantage,
because we can't tell by looking at it and the box doesn't say.

The other difference, advantage, that corn pasta offered, and probably still
does, is the simple fact that it's made of corn rather than wheat, for
instance. As someone mentioned, wheat allergies are fairly common and
probably affect a person's energy output, so corn may offer an innate
advantage to these people. Also, despite the fact that corn pasta production
standards may be lower than before, they probably haven't stooped to the
level of semolina like we find in almost all pre-packaged dinners at the
supermarket. Adulterated corn still beats impoverished wheat.

And then of course there's the placebo effect one may experience, eating
corn simply because one believes that it works. If a person believes that
corn pasta offers some kind of energy boost, then great for him or her. Ray
Jardine no longer believes in it, and does not specifically recommend it as
"the distance hiker's power food." Experiment for yourself.

Taste is also a subjective matter, but very real. For those that don't care
for corn pasta's taste or texture, I recommend trying Ancient Harvest Quinoa
pasta, which is actually 80% corn, 20% quinoa grain. The corn gives it any
corn advantage or disadvantage we care to ascribe, and the quinoa gives it a
nutty flavor and quite a bit of balanced protein. It also seems to hold
together better than straight corn pasta, although neither is as forgiving
as wheat. On the trail I now eat the Quinoa pasta almost exclusively; it's
that good.

Bon appetit,
- blisterfree