It’s early October and over here, in Central America, rainy season is approaching its end. The time of the year when the last remaining corn crops are harvested and the grains are put to dry for storage. With that reality surrounding me, what better way to check out how those corn plantations are doing than with an old Datsun truck?
So let’s take out this handsome crew cab version to the fields, and let’s have a brief tour through Central America’s corn traditions. And if you’re having some cornbread for breakfast, all the better.
But first, if you were born after the fall of the Berlin Wall and wonder what we’re looking at, it’s a 1973-1979 Datsun (620) pickup produced by Nissan. The kind of light truck that gained Japanese car makers their foothold in international markets. Of course, by the time these 1970s models rolled around Japanese makers had earned that foothold and then some, heading toward dominance.
If you see a lot of MoPar influence in the styling of these, you’re not alone. Nissan was going through a heavy Mopar-influenced phase at the time, and some of the final results seemed to have additional inspiration from hefty intakes of Sake. However, these 620s are probably some of Nissan’s better-looking models of that period.
Of course, these and their background have already been covered in more detail at CC.
620s were truly sturdy and long-lasting, as long as the tin worm was kept at bay. If one drove around Central America, these 620s would seem the quintessential form of transport for all agro-related activities. They’re awfully common in daily traffic, particularly around marketplaces; like the one shown above in San Salvador.
Along with the rare crew cab featured today, I’ve previously posted the quite questionable Ute version too. If you’re in the States and the crew cab or Ute don’t seem familiar to you, don’t worry. Neither reached North America.
Image, Wikipedia.
Back to our main dish. I would assume most of you are familiar with corn, a crop that alongside wheat, rice, and soy serves as humankind’s sustenance. However, if you come from an industrial nation the vision you may have is of vast fields filled with endless rows of the crop, a product of modern production methods. Though is not like such images lack a serene and pleasant quality, regardless of how they came to be.
Meanwhile, in Central America (or Mesoamerica, more precisely), corn is an ancient tradition. Very much part of the daily lives of its inhabitants and harvested in ways that have changed little over the ages.
True, some industrial-scale production exists, but a good deal of the harvest still comes from countless small plantations scattered all over these fertile lands. It’s, as some would call it, subsistence farming. Over here, it’s the natural rhythm of life.
Should you care to know, the crop began to be harvested sometime around 3000 years ago. At first, a tiny cob with minute grains, perfected over generations into what we sort of know today. And this being the region where it comes from, a larger genetic pool of the crop is still found. Even if not common, varieties with the grain rendered in all colors under the rainbow are available. Some even sought after for special dishes, as we’ll later see.
The crop and its cycle is a tradition heavily embedded into our local culture. That said, the harvesting of corn is mainly a blue-collar affair. Regardless of a laborer having a full-time job, many find the time –in the early mornings or weekends– to have their own plantation. However small it may be.
And it isn’t rare for a security guard or janitor in an office building to ask for an unused plot of land in the premises so that he (it’s usually a he) can sow a few rows. It may seem little or pointless to the white collars he works under, but to that fella, those few rows of corn are weeks of tortillas.
The cycle is well-known; come rainy season, the seeds are planted in what is usually a two-harvest process. From May to August, and August to October. Midway through each, beans are planted alongside the stalks to harvest the two veggies by the season’s end.
Once the corn reaches the desired growth, the stalks are bent and the husks are pointed toward the soil to dry out. As with all crops, it will depend on the weather allowing it to grow as expected. Much depends on how those rains play out; too little means meager returns, while too much could mean a total loss.
Now, the local government enjoys extolling to the world just how “modern” we are over here. Sure, we have cell phones and we’re up to date with Netflix’s latest shows. But when it comes to corn, we’re strictly old school. To dry the corn seeds properly, most farmers use any open space to expose the grains to the sun. In a common practice in the countryside, main road shoulders are used for this purpose, the final step before storage.
Not quite the most “modern” of solutions, but it does the trick. On the other hand, most of these farmers do own cell phones nowadays…
Blue-collar families naturally stress over the whole harvest process; a few sackfuls of corn and beans mean weeks of sustenance. Talking about which, in the ensuing months the grains are taken to small mills scattered all over the nation for processing. A process called nixtamalizado, where the grains are turned into a mushy pulp (flour) that’s the basis for tortillas and tamales.
This “flour” is perishable, so it’s a task that’s done on a rather regular basis. As can be seen above, these nixtamalizado mills are gathering places where small talk and daily gossip are freely exchanged.
Being this region’s main sustenance, the variety of corn-based dishes is naturally bewildering. Most being a form or another of a tortilla, but not all. Here’s a sampler from a Salvadorian cafe’s menu, with much corn to choose from. Center and foremost, pupusas at the center front –a tortilla-looking dish stuffed with cheese and beans. To their right, variations of Mexican-inspired chilaquiles. To their left, Salvadorian pasteles shaped from fried corn tortillas and filled with meat and vegetables.
Not corn-based; the fried Yucca snacks in the center dish. Still tasty, though.
And about those colored corn grains? Those find their way into more exotic-looking dishes, like special soups or tacos wrapped with black corn tortillas.
We’ve talked quite a bit about corn today, but back to our curbside find. To be honest, this 620 isn’t near a corn harvest area but rather in Juayua, a region better known for its coffee plantations.
Our light-green crew cab may not be near corn stalks, but the local scenery’s spirit still surrounds it. The cobblestone roads around the main plaza, a sleeping dog by its side (showing just its feet on the left), and well, that guy who seems annoyed and suspicious of me taking photos. At least he didn’t approach me to talk me into buying today’s subject car (as it’s happened on quite a few occasions).
These 620 crew cabs are not necessarily common but some show up from time to time. Unlike the restored example we’ve featured so far, here’s a more representative one of the many 620s that roam our streets, though still in crew cab form.
Despite being a workhorse this one is still recognizable; it’s a nice survivor. It has a few mods, as it’s inevitable around here. But aside from the additional non-Fuselage rear bumper, nothing too egregious.
And talking about MoPar matters…
Do you see Plymouth on this face? Or Dodge?
I see Datsun, out of familiarity. But I agree with all that this face is certainly fuselage-inspired. Or Fuji-lage, as is CC’s official term for these.
So what do you think? Did we pick the right vehicle for today’s task? These are certainly sturdy and long-lasting, and with the crew cab, at least four of us made the tour in relative cabin comfort.
However, I remember reading that these are credited to have quite a bouncy ride. Something I can’t tell from experience, as this is one of the few Japanese 1970s trucks I never rode on. But as you can see there are still quite a few survivors around and will be for some time. So the chance to try one may still come.
Related CC reading:
Curbside Classic: 1972-79 Datsun Ute Coupe 620 – Meeting The Ugly
The Long, the Short and the Ugly – by Don Andreina
Datsun King Cab Pickup – Yes, We’ve Long Legs in America – by PN
COAL#16 Datsun King Cab – King of Space Mountain – by Ed Hardey
Great read! Still some 620s around here but very scarce. Here in Iowa, ag is very different so it was great to read about your production methods. I like yours better.
These all rusted away many years ago in my midwestern salty locale.
On the food angle, I love how the infrastructure remains in place to support small growers of crops. And I noticed a restaurant that will be opening soon in my area – the sign says it is a Salvadoran-Mexican restaurant, so perhaps I will soon get to sample some of the Salvadoran treats you describe.