I still can’t believe that in the US over 99% of cultivated corn is the exact same type: Yellow Dent #2. What a difference is the situation in Guatemala and the rest of Mesoamerica, the cradle for the most popular cultivated cereal in the world… TAP to see the full size photo and post.
In Guatemala; especially corn grown by the Maya people. We still appreciate the autochthonous corn which comes in white, yellow, red and black with its non-uniform kernels… TAP to see the full size photo and post.
Look at all the different kinds of beans available at this grains stand inside the mercado of Antigua Guatemala. The same can be said about the maize varieties. Yet, many people think that we only eat black beans and white corn in Guatemala. You have to remember these lands are the birthplace for many staple … Read more
We are men of maize!. As I have said before, it’s impossible to think the Guatemalan and Mesoamerican diets without maize. From the Popul Vuh (Popol Wuj in modern spelling), the Mayan equivalent of the Bible, which states that humans were literally created from maize, to Miguel Ángel Asturias‘ novel Hombres de maíz (Men of … Read more
Within two weeks the harvest time will commence around Antigua Guatemala for corn. Normally, maize is harvested from the end of October through December depending on the milpa fields. Beans are harvested from November through December in most places in Guatemala. Who knows how much will be harvested this year since we experienced a severe … Read more
Men of Maize Revisited! “There was consensus and it was decided to bring the purple maize, the yellow maize, the red maize and the white maize and from these our bones were made, our blood, our meat.” —Popol Vuh «Hubo consenso y se decidió que viniera el maíz morado, el maíz amarillo, el maíz rojo … Read more
Guatemala 1 Monsanto 0 Guatemala repealed the ‘Monsanto Law’ pushed by the United States as part of the “free” trade agreement. The ‘Law for the Protection of New Plant Varieties,’ dubbed the ‘Monsanto Law’ by critics for its formidable seed-privatization provisions, is an obligation for all nations that signed the 2005 CAFTA-DR free trade agreement … Read more
Very often I see women on their way to the maize mill to turn nixtamalized maized into masa dough to make tortillas. As I have mentioned before, in Guatemala freshly baked/cooked tortillas are sold three times a day (los tres tiempos). Yet, there are many people who still like to prepared their own tortillas at … Read more
This has to be one of the most frequent vistas in rural Guatemala. A woman or girl carrying a load of cooked maize on her way to the mill to turn the maize into masa. As I have mentioned before, in Guatemala freshly baked/cooked tortillas are sold three times a day (los tres tiempos). Yet, … Read more