Did people in the 16th century even have the slightest idea of cornfed beef? Come on, back then grain was for feeding humans not cows.Cornbread etc. were traditionally considered food for the poor in China, probably because the Mexican nixtamalisation technique hadn't been imported along with the corn. This resulted in vitamin/protein deficiencies for anyone on a corn-based diet so people outside the Americas considered it a low-quality food.