According to the climate, and the kind of maize, its state of perfection or ripeness varies very much—from fifty days to five months. The morocho is ripe within sixty days in climates that are very hot and humid, as for instance at Guayaquil, and on the coast of Choco: the blanco within three months, in the vicinity of Lima and on the Peruvian coast, valles: and the chancayano in about five months. The last is the most productive, and the best food for cattle, poultry, &c.
Although wheat and barley are cultivated in different parts of Peru, maize is generally considered the principal harvest; and where barley is even commoner than maize, (as in some of the more elevated provinces of the interior, and where it constitutes the principal article of food for the indians) they all greatly prefer the maize, if attainable, and will always exert themselves to cultivate a small patch of ground for this grain. Thus, where it is not used for daily food, or calculated upon as an article of trade, it is considered as a species of luxury. Among the indians and poor people on the coast it supplies the place of bread; for which purpose it is merely boiled in water, and is then called mote. Puddings are also made of it, by first taking off the husk. This operation is performed by putting a quantity of wood ashes into water with the maize, exposing it to a boiling heat, and washing the grain in running water, when the husks immediately separate themselves from the grain, which is afterwards boiled in water, and reduced to a paste by bruising it on a large stone, somewhat hollowed in the middle, called a batan. The bruiser, or mano, handle, is curved on one side, and is moved by pressing the ends alternately. I have been the more particular in describing this rude mill, because it was undoubtedly used by the ancient Peruvians, having been found buried with them in their huacas; and because it may serve some curious investigator in comparing the manners of these people with those of other nations. By the same implements they pulverized their ores for the extraction of gold and silver; and to this day many of their batanes of obsidian and porphyry remain near to the mountain in the neighbourhood of Cochas; but the bruisers have never been discovered. That these stones were used for the purpose just mentioned is obvious, from the relics of a gold mine being here visible; besides, I have several times found fragments of gold ore in this place.
After the paste is made from the boiled maize it is seasoned with salt and an abundance of capsicum, and a portion of lard is added: a quantity of this paste is then laid on a piece of plantain leaf, and some meat is put among it, after which it is rolled up in the leaf, and boiled for several hours. This kind of pudding is called tamal, a Quichua word, which inclines me to believe, that it is a dish known to the ancient inhabitants of the country.
Sweet puddings are made from the green corn, by cutting the grains from the cob, bruising them, and adding sugar and spices, after which they are boiled or baked. Choclo, being the Quichua name for the green cobs, these puddings, if boiled in the leaves that envelop the cob, are called choclo tandas, bread of green maize, and also umitas.
This useful grain is prepared for the table in many different ways, and excellent cakes and rusks are made from the flour, procured from the grain by various means. A thick kind of porridge, called sango, is made by boiling the flour in water, which constitutes the principal food of the slaves on the farms and plantations. Another sort, similar to hasty-pudding, is common in many places, but particularly in Lima; it is called masamorra, and the people of Lima are often ironically denominated masamorerros, eaters of masamorra. The grain is bruised and mixed with water; it is thus allowed to ferment until it become acid, when it is boiled, and sweetened with sugar. It resembles Scotch sowins.
A great quantity of maize is also made into a fermented beverage, called chicha. The grain is allowed to germinate, and is completely malted; it is then boiled with water, and the liquor ferments like ale or porter; but no other ingredients are added to it.
Chicha is the favourite drink of all the indians, and when well made it is very intoxicating. In some parts of Peru the natives believe that fermentation will not take place if the malted grain be not previously subjected to mastication; from this circumstance many old men and women assemble at the house where chicha is to be made, and are employed in chewing the jora, or malt. Having masticated a sufficient quantity they lay the chewed substance in small balls, mouthfuls, on a calabash; these are suffered to dry a little, after which they are mixed with some newly made chicha while it is warm. When travelling I always inquired if the chicha was mascada, chewed, and if it were I declined taking any;—however, as the question seemed to express a dislike, I was often assured it was not mascada when it probably was. No spirituous liquor is extracted from it, on account of the prohibition. Two kinds of chicha are usually made from the same grain—the first, called claro, is the water in which the malt has been infused; this is drawn off, and afterwards boiled. In taste it has some resemblance to cider. The second kind is made by boiling the grain with the water for several hours, it is then strained and fermented, and is called neto; the residue or sediment found in the bottom of the jars is used in fermenting the dough for bread, which when made of maize is called arepa; and that of wheat, in the Quichua language, tanda.
This beverage was well known to the ancient inhabitants before the conquest; for I have drunk, at Patavilca and Cajamarca, chicha that had been found interred in jars in the huacas, or burying places, where it must have remained upwards of three centuries. Garcilaso de la Vega relates, that the manufacture of intoxicating liquors, particularly the vinapu and sora, was prohibited by the Incas; and this part of Peru was annexed to their government in the time of Pachacutec, the tenth Inca of Peru.
The Peruvians, as well as the Mexicans, made sugar from the green stalks of the maize plant, and sold it in their markets—Cortes, in one of his letters to the Emperor Charles V., speaks of it. At Quito, I have seen the green canes brought to market, and have frequently observed the indians sucking them as the negroes do the sugar cane.
The town Villa de Chancay stands about a league and a half from the Pasamayo river, and fifteen leagues from Lima. It was founded in 1563 by the Viceroy Conde de Nieva, who intended to form a college and a university here, but this intention was never fulfilled. It has a large parish church, a convent of Franciscans, dedicated to San Diego, and a hospital, managed by friars of San Juan de Dios. The town contains about three hundred families, some of which are descendants of noblemen, although perhaps by African favourites.