hominy

American  

[hom-uh-nee] / ˈhɒm ə ni /

noun

1. whole or ground hulled corn from which the bran and germ have been removed by bleaching the whole kernels in a lye bath lye hominy or by crushing and sifting pearl hominy.

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hominy British  

/ ˈhɒmɪnɪ /

noun

1. coarsely ground maize prepared as a food by boiling in milk or water

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Etymology

Origin of hominy

1620–30, origin uncertain; from Virginia Algonquian (English spelling) uskatahomen, usketchamun a nominalized passive verb, literally, “that which is treated (in the way specified by the unidentified initial element),” here probably “that which is ground or beaten”

Compare meaning

How does hominy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hominy vs. grits

Explanation

Hominy is corn that's been treated with an alkaline solution to remove its hull and germ. This process softens the kernels, giving them a chewy texture. To make hominy, dried corn kernels are usually soaked and cooked in a mildly caustic solution like limewater (calcium hydroxide in water), which loosens and dissolves the hulls. This process changes the kernels' texture, making it puffier and chewier, and it boosts nutrition by making essential nutrients like niacin more digestible. Hominy is used in many foods: It can be eaten whole, in Mexican dishes like posole, a thick stew. It can also be ground up into grits or masa, from which tortillas and tamales are traditionally made.

Example Sentences

The savory, rich stock teems with fatty hunks of pork shoulder and buttery white hominy beneath a slick of oil stained red from dried chiles.

From Salon • Feb. 3, 2023

The key here is the interplay between the broth and the hominy and pieces of fork-tender pork submerged in the liquid.

From Washington Post • Nov. 7, 2022

Some foods are important for Eastern Shoshone feasts and ceremonies, such as buffalo, deer, elk, hominy, salmon and squash.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 22, 2022

"No one said comfort food can’t be healthy. So I filled this hearty chili with white meat chicken, three kinds of beans, hominy and a warm and zesty sauce," says Lanz.

From Fox News • Jan. 4, 2022

Hungry as he was, he couldn’t eat much of Vernell’s breakfast, so he pushed the scrambled eggs, hominy, fried apples around in the plate, gulped coffee and talked a lot.

From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison