Maize races on functional and nutritional quality of tejate: A maize-cacao beverage

- Tejate is a maize-cacao beverage that mantains bood with normal glucose response.
- Ash nixtamalization in tejate appears to have higher minerals, fiber and resistant starch.
- X-ray diffraction showed starch type V or resistant starch of amylose-lipid complex.
- Results suggest slow digestion of carbohydrate-lipid complexes from tejate.
- Tejate is good source of Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn and P, all are important micronutrients.

Tejate is a Mesoamerican beverage made mainly with maize-cacao. Despite the economic importance of tejate in Oaxaca and Southwest US, the characteristics that maize should have for good quality tejate are not well known. The aim was to evaluate the native races of maize commonly used in tejate preparation. Tejate showed excellent source of minerals (Ca, Fe, Zn, K, Mg, P), where white Bolita maize showed higher levels. Starch annealing during nixtamalization with wood ashes showed that white Bolita produced a tejate with higher resistant starch type 5 (RS5) and the greatest consistency (1146 cP) compared with the other maize landraces. X-ray diffraction patterns showed a peak at 4.45 Å of amylose-lipid complex. The white Bolita maize had the highest RS5 in tejate (2.68 g/100 g) and low glycemic index (GI 38.21), compared with other tejate samples that ranged from 1.04 to 2.07 g/100 g of RS5, and GI of 23.09-74.46. Tejate consumption maintains blood with normal glucose responses.