Colorado Bob's Hopi Blue Corn Experiment: March 2011

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Season 3

Getting ready to begin my 3rd season with HBC. I still have a jug of G1 seeds so I should be fine.I was hoping for a nice, mild, dry Spring but looks like that's not in the cards, so I'm gearing up for a better cloche on both of my raised and elevated beds. I will post a few pix when I finish policing my garden area.

btw fyi, interesting news:

http://www.pubpat.org/osgatavmonsantofiled.htm

Sunday, March 6, 2011

spring is threatening to have once more sprung fully-budded from the heels of winter's traces....the seeds are ready and the ground is ready and soon, probably before you can say "jack robinson", will be more corn than at which you can shake a schtick.

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

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Season 3

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Hopi Women Grinding Corn in Arizona

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