Parched corn

To parch is to scorch, as in Mt 13° Rhem., ‘After the sun was up, they parched,’ where it is used intransitively. The trans. use is more common, as Sir 43° ‘ At noon it (the sun) parcheth the country’ (ἀναξηραίνει, RV ‘drieth’); but it is rarely used except in the ptep, ‘parched.’ Parched is used of the ground (Is 357," Jer 178, Sir 43°) as we still use it. But it is also used of corn (Lv 2315, Jos 54, Ru 24, 1S 177 9518. 2S 17%) in the obsolete sense of ‘roasted.’ Cf.

Haliburton, Sam Slick, Clockmaker, xxv— *Marm Porter moved about as brisk as a hed ea.’ The process of parching corn is described by Mionesr Toad and Book, ui. 40f., ‘ A quantity of the best ears, not too ripe, are plucked with the stalks attached. These are tied in small cels, a blazing fire is kindled with dry grass and thorn bushes, and the corn-heads are held in it until the chaff is mostly burned off.

When the grain is sufficiently roasted, it is rubbed out in the hand and eaten as there is occasion.’ See also Robinson, BRP ii. 50f., ‘In the season of harvest, the grains of wheat, not yet fully dry and hard, are roasted in a pan or on an iron plate, and constitute a very palatable article of food. Indeed, the use of itis so common at this season among the labouring classes, that this parched wheat is sold in the markets.’ J. HASTINGS.