Colorado Bob's Hopi Blue Corn Experiment: Report from the Guerneville/Forestville, Ca Outpost

Monday, June 8, 2009

Report from the Guerneville/Forestville, Ca Outpost

We started with 15 seeds/13 sprouted and managed to make it to be transplanted...but since then 3 have fallen victim to some critters.

Ours look kind of pathetic next to other peoples' corn plants but we are still hoping for knee high by the fourth of July.

3 comments:

COLORADO BOB said...: Prettiest corn I've ever seen ........

Thank-You Ms. Cracker

And I mean it from the bottom of my heart.; June 8, 2009 at 9:41 PM
Anonymous said...: KGC, NOT Pathetic. Well tended corn. Mine seems to have slowed down, but I too have high hopes.; June 9, 2009 at 11:28 AM
Blonde wino said...: KGC

Nice looking transplants...they should be thriving soon. I have lost a lot of my first corn to pests, but the original stalk keeps growing towards puberty!; June 9, 2009 at 2:34 PM

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Blue Corn: Found primarily in the Southwest, blue corn has been a staple food of Native Americans - including the Hopi, Pueblo, Navajo & Zuni tribes - for hundreds of years. Coronado found blue corn & other flour corns during his 1540 expedition into the Southwest.

Blue flour corn, made of primarily soft starches, is used for blue corn flour & cornmeal, and for making blue corn tortillas and blue corn chips. Itís a bit coarser than yellow or white meal, but is somewhat sweeter & nuttier in flavor. It also contains about 20% more protein & up to 50% more iron than other varieties of corn.

Blue Corn & Hopi Indians: Hopi blue corn varieties can range in color from nearly black to a powdery gray color. There are three varieties of the blue corn: "standard" blue (sakwaqa'o), hard blue (huruskwapu), and gray-blue (maasiqa'o). Because of its hard kernels, huruskwapu is most resistant to storage pests and traditionally was the preferred variety for storing. When the grinding was all done by hand, women preferred using maasiqa'o because it is soft and easier to grind but the color was not as vibrant as that of the sakwaqa'o or huruskwapu.

Besides being the backbone of their diet, blue corn represents an essential part of the Hopi culture. It represents the Eastern rising sun, the beginning of life, wisdom & understanding. The Hopi of Arizona use blue corn in the naming ceremonies of infants, who might not receive their name for 6-to-8 months. They believe that blue corn represents a long life; Hopi men ate blue corn before undertaking long journeys because they believe it gives them great strength. To this day, the Hopi believe in the power of blue corn, as demonstrated by their story of creation.

As the Hopi moved from the third to the fourth way of life, Maasawu, the Creator, presented the gift of corn to all those who emerged. The other peoples took the largest ears of corn and Hopis were left with the small blue ear. The Hopis knew that their fourth way of life would be would not be easy, but that overcoming hardships would make them strong. The themes of humility, cooperation and respect became the lifeway of all Hopis.

Kokopelli's Kitchen

Colorado Bob's Hopi Blue Corn Experiment

Monday, June 8, 2009

Report from the Guerneville/Forestville, Ca Outpost

3 comments:

Hopi Women Grinding Corn in Arizona

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