Tag: Flint corn

Packed with powerful antioxidants known as anthocyanins, blue corn offers a vibrant alternative to its yellow and white counterparts, providing both a distinctive nutty flavor and impressive health benefits. This deep indigo grain is more than just a colorful curiosity; it is a food deeply rooted in centuries of Indigenous tradition throughout the Southwest and Mexico.

Originating as a Northern Italian peasant food, polenta is a dish with ancient roots that predate the arrival of corn in Europe. So, what category does polenta fall under? It is best understood as a versatile grain-based dish, commonly made from ground cornmeal but historically from other coarsely ground starches.

Over 200 varieties of corn exist, and for many, the colorful cobs used for fall decor raise a simple question: Is ornamental corn safe to eat? The answer is generally yes, but it’s not as simple as shucking and eating, as these kernels are a type of hard flint corn requiring specific preparation.

While most people associate ornamental or "Indian" corn with autumn decorations, it is technically edible. However, unlike sweet corn, this colorful flint corn is not meant to be eaten fresh off the cob. Its hard, starchy kernels require specific processing, such as grinding or nixtamalization, to be safely and palatably consumed.

While the vast majority of corn grown in the United States is field corn used for animal feed and industrial products, it’s important to know which corn is not edible for direct human consumption straight from the cob. The hard, starchy varieties are a world away from the sweet, juicy kernels you'd expect to find in the produce aisle.

While both are made from dried ground corn, a common point of confusion for many home cooks is the exact difference between polenta and cornmeal, with many mistakenly thinking they are identical. The key distinction lies in the fact that one is a prepared dish from Northern Italy, and the other is the raw ingredient used to make it.