Corn in Wartime: The Second Starch

Corn (jagung — *Zea mays*) underwent the same wartime elevation as cassava during the Japanese occupation, particularly in East and Central Java and in areas where the cassava supply was insufficient. Corn had been grown in Indonesia since Portuguese introduction in the 16th century, but remained a supplementary crop rather than a staple — associated with poverty and the lean season between rice harvests. The occupation forced corn into the primary starch position in millions of households, particularly in drier regions where cassava cultivation was less productive. · Preparation