Corn! What an interesting food.

I have always loved popcorn; just plain unseasoned popcorn. Also, polenta simply cooked in water with salt and pepper. I cannot forget Beth’s creamed corn - corn, butter and pepper; I swoon. Yet corn hasn’t been in my wheel house, as the French don’t eat it -considering it only fit for horses, - corn is not in their classic repertoire. Corn has infrequently weaved its way in and out of my kitchen. And there has also been a stint with corn whiskey, the kind coming out of the back woods - I may have tasted it, but I have never swallowed it or heaven forbid, tried my hand at making it. Wink wink.

Recently I have been playing with corn. Just the other day I was introduced to something unknown to me: huitlacoche. It is a fungus that invades corn kernels when they have been bruised or nibbled on by a deer or such. It puffs the kernels up into white marbles, eventually turning grey and then a slimy brown. It is known by other names; “Mexican truffles” and “corn smut”. Sounds delicious, right?

But I am getting ahead of myself. I need to back this up to where my current interest began.

In January I read an article written by Clay Risen - Mexican Whiskey is on the Rise, Powered by Ancient Corn., published in the New York Times. Having about 300# of organic dent corn stashed away for who knows what, I was intrigued by his account. The featured whiskey was Gran Maizal, made from one of the most ancient of corns in Mexico, nal t’eel. I had to try it. In limited distribution in the U.S., fortunately two stores in Washington, DC carry it, where my sister lives. In March when visiting, I bought a bottle - with the thought in mind to present it as a gift to a whiskey drinking buddy. I had to sneak a sip. I did swallow, just the barest of drops. It is perhaps one of the most unique distilled flavors I have tasted. Even more distinct than the French distillate made from holly berries - Baie de Houx. (Which I cannot recommend, but consider the source - it comes from a people that don’t eat corn.) The whiskey is made in handmade terra cotta instead of wooden casks, which in my estimation preserves the corn flavor, whereas Kentucky bourbon is all about wood and less about corn. This whiskey is amazing

For me, food should taste like what it is made of - which is why I love plain popcorn and simple polenta. I have shed the coda of cream and butter; except of course for Beth’s creamed corn. This is why I enjoyed the Gran Maizal - it tastes like corn, not just corn, but corn silk; as if you were shucking a fresh cob in a barn out on the farm. I was inspired.

I messaged my purchase of Gran Maizal to my Bourbon whiskey drinking buddy, “BDB”, who happened to be in another Mexican whiskey friendly city. He picked up a bottle of Abasolo. It is made from another heirloom corn, cacahuazintle. When we both returned to North Carolina, he ordered more Mexican whiskey from Sierra Norte. We now had four whiskies to taste.

There is no better time of the week or time of the day to sit, sip, and savor with friends than a Sunday afternoon. My first thought was to invite a few whiskey lovers just to taste them, this evolved into some corn snacks and finally into a meal composed of all things corn.

I ordered organic blue corn meal to make pupusas, dried cacahuazintle white heirloom corn for pozole, and popcorn from Rancho Gordo to go along with popcorn grown by Full Sun Farm in Sandy Mush, NC. A feast was in the works. BDB dubbed the gathering “CORN-VICTED”, to acknowledge the recent verdict of a former high official. My friend Anne, who owns Gaining Ground Farm, with her husband Aaron, nixtalmalized the corn with wood ash from her wood stove and I made a pork pozole. I made special clear ice cubes with spring water from a spring high up McDaris Cove Road; a pristine source. (In these parts - people still drink “barley corn & branch”). To complete the meal, a corn & rice flour cake was served with a versiion of Beth’s creamed corn.

Friends gathered, whiskies sampled, food enjoyed and many hours passed in comradery.

This brings me back to corn smut. I have been talking to other friends about that afternoon. It is a special food memory. The response has been surprising. Many friends want a repeat and some have been sending me food ideas, including a link to the website ForagerChef about huitlacoche. Mention of it had popped up before, now my interest intensified. Then Anne sent a text there was huitlacoche in her field of corn, come get it. Which I have and it is in the freezer for the next Popcorn, Pozole, and Mexican Whiskey.

I realize it is time to KEEP on playing. Thre is no greater pleasure for me than to put together a special meal to share with family and friends. I cook almost everyday, the food is usually tasty, it the act of sharing that makes it special.

POPCORN, POZOLE, & MEXICAN CORN WHISKEY COMING IN SEPTEMBER. SAVE THE DATE - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15. (THIS IS A CHANGE FROM THE ORIGINAL DATE OF SEPT 14.)

Mark Rosenstein

Marshall, NC