From Corn Kernel to Breakfast Flake
A bowl of corn flakes may look simple, but each crisp flake has taken quite a journey. It begins as part of a hard corn kernel and passes through several steps before it is ready to pour into a bowl. Making a flake means cooking the grain, shaping it, and removing enough moisture to make it crisp.
Starting with corn
Corn grows on ears covered with rows of kernels. After the corn is harvested, the kernels are removed from the cobs. For one common kind of corn flake, the kernels go to a mill, where they are cleaned and broken into pieces called grits. During milling, much of the outer covering and the germ, the part that could grow into a new plant, is separated from the starchy center.
The starchy pieces are useful because starch changes when it is cooked with water. The pieces soften and become easier to shape. Different cereals may start with other grains or use different methods, but this example follows corn grits all the way to flakes.
Cooking and cooling
- harvested:
- Gathered when ready to be used.
- moisture:
- Water contained in something or present in the air.
- flatten:
- To press or make something flat.
- absorb:
- To take in a liquid or another substance.
- humid:
- Containing a lot of moisture in the air.
- delicate:
- Easily damaged or broken.
- manufacturing:
- The process of making products, often in a factory.
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Main Idea
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What is the main idea of the passage, and which two steps support it?
- 2Why are the starchy centers of corn kernels useful for making flakes?
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About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“From Corn Kernel to Breakfast Flake” is a explanatory article reading passage about Breakfast Cereal, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (510 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.