Grain of the Week - 29 - Blue Corn

Blue Corn the pretty grain is the star for this week. While is not that much different from the regular yellow corn you will all agree it is much prettier. Blue Corn is a novelty for me but it has been used by the Indians here in the US as far back as the sixteenth century. The other very good thing about blue corn is it is not as commercialized as the yellow corn. Perhaps Monsanto hasn't gotten to it yet. Moreover while 80% of yellow and white corn are GMO and perhaps almost impossible to find non-GMO varieties of those it might be slightly easier to find non-GMO blue corn. Blue corn's protein content is higher than that of yellow or white corn. source.

Blue Corn has antioxidant properties that other blue fruits and vegetables like blueberries, grapes also have. Blue corn is still used for making tortillas in Mexico and blue corn flour is increasingly getting popular but apparently the flour spoils much quicker than yellow/white corn flour. The reason that it is not more commonly available.

Corn is high carbohydrate food and hence overeating them is not a good thing. Corn is gluten free. They can eaten grilled, boiled, roasted and of course the flour can be made into bread. The reason I picked up this corn for this week is because it is beautiful to look at. I am till thinking of what I can make with it.

One thing we have to studiously have in mind is the fact that corn is the basis for most of the junk food and highly processed foods we are marketed to andt the reason for the health crisis we have today. While eating corn as a whole grains is beneficial it is in our best interests to avoid the other processed forms of corn starting form that difficult to avoid - the morning cup of cereal!

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