Navajo Blue Corn

As I have been studying Black, Purple, Blue, and other "dark" Gothic Plants, I would like to introduce you to a personal favorite: Navajo Blue Corn, also called Hopi Blue, is a variety of Flour maize grown in northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States, particularly in the states of Arizona and New Mexico.  One of  the “Zea mays” corns  domesticated by Meso-Americans along the Rio Balsas of Mexico by at least 6,700 BC.  Corn is a staple food and has many ritual uses.   

 In my studies, I have found that Navajo Blue Corn was originally developed by the Hopi, and remains an essential part of Hopi and Navajo dishes.  Blue Corn Kernals are gound to make meal, and has a sweet flavore.  Blue Corn is also a staple of New Mexican Cuisine, where it is also known as Zuni Blue Corn.  The Navajo dry farm this corn below their canyons and mesas (near a flood plain to catch natural monsoon rains), thus making it a nice drought hearty addition to any Gothic Homesteaders list of grains.  Personally, Robby (my husband) uses Blue Corn meal alot to make the Navajo style corn bread we were introduced to while living near the Navajo Reservation.

 ~ Morria

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