# "Stone ground" corn- who cares? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 10, 2005, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323 "2005-11-10T02:12:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/1 "2005-11-10T02:12:14Z")
Why is this so important? Is there some value to the corn in my chips being ground that way rather than by, say, a ceramic disk or something? Is it just an “authenticity” thing, where I should feel closer to my Mexican hermanas because of my chip choice? Especially since, even if it is “stone ground,” it probably wasn’t done by a Mexican woman squatting in front of a metate. Was it? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/2 "2005-11-10T02:22:13Z")
It’s a texture thing. Stone-ground is a bit coarser, so it takes a better “bite.” ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/3 "2005-11-10T14:01:24Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > It’s a texture thing. Stone-ground is a bit coarser, so it takes a better “bite.” Not to mention that indefinable quality that the tiny bit of ground stone adds to the mix. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/4 "2005-11-10T14:17:11Z")
I like the Sidney Harris cartoon that shows a sign outside a rustic-looking bakery: \*\*Bread Made from Stone-Ground Wheat Stone-ground sodium proprionate added to retard spoilage\*\* ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/5 "2005-11-10T14:46:53Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Not to mention that indefinable quality that the tiny bit of ground stone adds to the mix. 😃 The ancient Egyptians’ teeth show evidence of excessive wear likely from ground stone in their bread. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/6 "2005-11-10T14:49:12Z")
Some people claim that the metal rollers used in “conventional” grinding tend to heat up more than stone grindstones, and so will impart a burnt taste to the grain. I have no idea whether or not this is accurate, though. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/7 "2005-11-10T14:50:52Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > The ancient Egyptians’ teeth show evidence of excessive wear likely from ground stone in their bread. As I understand it, the excessive wear was from sand carried by wind into their roofless granaries. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/8 "2005-11-10T16:02:51Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > As I understand it, the excessive wear was from sand carried by wind into their roofless granaries. Well maybe, but Mesoamericans also showed worn teeth and they don’t have a desert to blame. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/9 "2005-11-10T16:55:39Z")
An example of why stone ground is nice comes in the form of an alternative: [Quaker Corn Meal](http://www.billybear4kids.com/NoSalt-LowSalt/corn-meal.jpg). Comes in a round cylindrical box, just like their oatmeal. Man alive, that stuff’s bad news. Corn meal the consistency of fine sand. I could see using it to roll catfish in before frying them, but there’s no way you could make decent cornbread with this stuff. Concrete paving blocks of a warm yellow color, perhaps. Be that as it may, stone ground isn’t the only term to be alert for on the box. There’s also [water ground](http://www.renevintagetreasures.citymax.com/i/BottlesBagBox/queen.jpg), which means the same thing. Not currently as trendy in marketing as “stone ground” but the same nice fluffy corn meal nevertheless. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/10 "2005-11-10T17:00:43Z")
Absolutely **the** best corn bread I ever had was made with corn meal ground at [the Graue Mill](http://www.grauemill.org/) outside Chicago, Illinois. Damn fine cornbread! ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/11 "2005-11-10T17:30:56Z")
Do 18th-19th century human remains from the southern US display excessive tooth wear? The slaves, in particular, ate a diet that ran rather heavily towards stoneground corn. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/12 "2005-11-10T21:00:25Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Do 18th-19th century human remains from the southern US display excessive tooth wear? The slaves, in particular, ate a diet that ran rather heavily towards stoneground corn. Then more likely than not, they would display worn teeth. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/13 "2005-11-10T23:49:05Z")
I care. Deeply. Very deeply. Yes, I am interested in information on long-distance savings. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/14 "2005-11-10T23:49:58Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I care. Deeply. Very deeply. > > Yes, I am interested in information on long-distance savings. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/15 "2005-11-11T01:16:24Z")
It’s from the Simpson’s episode where Homer goes on public, low watt radio to proclaim his innocence regarding alleged babysitter harassment. Homer says his piece. Puberty Boy, the radio announcer is thrilled – "The switchboard is lighting up! Two calls, best ever. Wrong number and the long-distance savings thing. Maybe somewhat obscure. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/16 "2005-11-11T17:29:33Z")
In a demonstration of tortilla making at Lawry’s in Los Angeles, we were told that lime (which I assume meant powdered limestone) was added to tortillas, and the body could not use corn’s nutrition without it. Do you have any info on this? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/17 "2005-11-11T17:32:19Z")
_Traditional dishes made with corn often included a small amount of lime - not the fruit, but calcium oxide, the mineral complex that can be made by burning limestone. Limestone is a sedimentary rock that is composed of calcium carbonate and occurs naturally across the United States. This lime added to a corn meal was generally obtained from the fire ash because a small amount of lime is produced simply from the burning of wood into ash. The reason for this process was simple: people seemed healthier when the pot ash was added. Now we know why. The niacin (vitamin B3) in corn is not readily available for absorption into the body, and lime helps free this B vitamin, making it available for absorption._ From [here.](http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=90) ---
**Author:** ![ProTem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@ProTem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProTem)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/18 "2005-11-11T18:00:01Z")
Stone in meal wears down the teeth. That’s been found over and over in anthropological sites. When the wear hits the nerves, the population prematurely loses its teeth. Enjoy ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/19 "2005-11-11T18:05:54Z")
> [@ProTem](#): > > Stone in meal wears down the teeth. > That’s been found over and over in anthropological sites. > When the wear hits the nerves, the population prematurely loses its teeth. Enjoy On the other hand, teeth that have been worn by stone grinding show very few cavities, probably because the tooth gets worn before the cavity has a chance to get very large. I’ve seen mandibles with fissues caused by abscessed roots. All things considered, I’ll stick with the worn teeth. ---
**Author:** ![tiltypig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@tiltypig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiltypig)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-ground-corn-who-cares/330323/20 "2005-11-13T07:35:05Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > In a demonstration of tortilla making at Lawry’s in Los Angeles, we were told that lime (which I assume meant powdered limestone) was added to tortillas, and the body could not use corn’s nutrition without it. > > Do you have any info on this? The body can’t absorb niacin from the corn without the alkali processing that turns corn into hominy or masa and it results in a vitamin deficiency disease called pellagra. See here for more information: > **[Pellagra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pellagra)** > > Pellagra is a disease caused by a lack of the vitamin niacin (vitamin B3). Symptoms include inflamed skin, diarrhea, dementia, and sores in the mouth. Areas of the skin exposed to either sunlight or friction are typically affected first. Over time affected skin may become darker, stiffen, peel, or bleed. > There are two main types of pellagra, primary and secondary. Primary pellagra is due to a diet that does not contain enough niacin and tryptophan. Secondary pellagra is due to a poor ability ...