Mote, also known as hominy, is corn with the hulls removed by soaking in a non-acidic solution. It is a staple in Central and South American cuisine and used in dishes such as menudo, tamale, and tortilla chips. Mote is also used in desserts and side dishes and is an essential ingredient in many Mexican dishes made from masa. It is a well-known ingredient among chefs and home cooks.
Mote, which is more popularly called hominy, refers to kernels of corn with hulls removed. To remove the hulls, these corn kernels are usually soaked in a non-acidic solution such as lime water. This is a popularly served and eaten dish in Central and South America. There are other terms for these kernels of corn, depending on how they are prepared. For example, the coarse variety is called “samp,” while the smaller variety is called “grit.”
Recipes incorporating these grains include menudo, tamale and tortilla chips. Menudo is a Mexican dish of beef in broth, tamale is a steamed dish wrapped in leaves whose dough is usually made of corn, and tortilla is a Mexican food with corn as the base ingredient. Hominy is a staple in many households and restaurants, but finds greater significance in Mexico, a country that grows 42 types of corn. In fact, many Mexican dishes, including those previously mentioned, are made from masa, a corn-based dough, of which mote corn is an essential ingredient.
Mote can stand alone as an individual dish, as there are people who make mote grain or consume it alone as a vegetable. It is, however, commonly incorporated as an ingredient in other dishes usually to add flavor or balance out texture. In Argentina, for example, the grains are boiled and typically served with a wide variety of meats, while hominy is a favorite soup ingredient in Bolivia. In Chile, it accompanies sauces or is added to soups. Mote con huesillo, a sweet drink from Chile, is also based on these grains, as the name indicates.
A Venezuelan cuisine based on these cereals is called muta, a dish made of boiled corn kernels and then served with pork and spices to enhance its flavor. Many Americans, particularly in the southern states, use these grains to make meatballs. The use of mote corn, however, is not limited to appetizers or main courses. It is also integrated into many desserts and side dishes, such as canjica, a sweet Brazilian dish.
As a food in itself, mote hasn’t gained word of mouth or media popularity like some dishes have. It is, however, a well-known ingredient among chefs and home cooks. While many people may not be too familiar with it, it is considered an integral part of a number of famous dishes.
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