Celebrating Corn: Rich Traditions and Cultural Significance in Grenada

Corn is a vegetable that is grown across Grenada. There is what is referred to as "corn season" where corn blooms and can be found in abundance. Nevertheless, corn can be grown throughout the year.

Corn was a major food staple for the enslaved people of Carriacou and Petit Martinique.

Roast Corn

Roast corn can be found being sold by the roadside. There are roast corn vendors that can be found across Grenada. Popular areas are close to road junctions where there is sufficient foot and vehicular traffic to support the business. Traditionally, roast corn vendors tend to be women. The corn is purchased from local farmers or corn growers and then roasted. The corn first has to be peeled away from the green skin covering or shell. The corn is roasted using a coal pot. The coal pot is kept burning using coals, which is burnt wood from trees. Using a hot coal pot, the corn is roasted. The vendor constantly turns over the roast corn to ensure that the corn is properly cooked or "touched by the hot fire". Once the roast corn is ready, it is placed back in the green covering or "shell" to keep warm for the customer. The price of roast corn has risen over the years, but tends to range from $3 to $5 for a roast corn.

The best roast corn is when the corn is sweet and soft. This makes it easy to eat and enjoy. If the corn is too mature, then the roast corn is tough and can be difficult to eat. Children as well as adults eat roast corn.

Here are some pictures:

Source: Flickr

Corn soup

Corn soup is another popular dish that involves corn. Although the soup is called corn soup, the soup itself is split peas soup. The corn is included in the split peas soup. The corn is boiled as part of the cooking process. Ingredients for making corn soup are: split peas, corn kernels, green and red peppers, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, salt, black pepper, butter and water.

Corn soup is a favourite soup that is sold by the roadside in small bowls for between $10 to $15. Usually, the same vendors that sell roast corn also sell corn soup. Corn soup can also found in establishments that specialize in soups or on restaurant menus in Grenada. In addition, corn soup is cooked in Grenadian homes especially during "corn season".

Picture: Flickr

Cou-Cou

Cou-cou is made from boiled cornmeal flour and coconut milk. Vegetables such as carrot can be incorporated into the mixture. It can be cooked on a stove or on wood side fire. Cou-cou is typically one of the dishes prepared as part of Saraka/Salaka celebrations. The turning of the Cou-cou to ensure it does not stick to the large pot on the fireside can be seen as part of the dish preparation at the celebration.

Other dishes that can be made using Corn include:

• Corn dumplings - Corn dumplings can be added to any soup dish. Corn can be used alongside wheat flour or replace wheat flour altogether in the dumplings.

• Corn flour - flour made using local corn. This can be an alternative to those looking for other flour besides wheat.

• Corn pie - This is similar to macaroni pie. Instead of macaroni, corn can be used.

• Corn porridge - porridge is common for breakfast. Many Grenadians can remember growing up drinking corn porridge as young children especially in the homes of their grand and great grandparents.

• Konkie or Conkie - a pudding made from corn meal flour, plantain and pumpkin which is sweetened with raisins, spiced and then wrapped in banana leaves, steamed until cooked. This dish came from the Akan people of West Africa, and is a tradition brought by the slaves to plantation society.

Source:

A to Z of Grenada Heritage (New and Revised edition) by John Augus Martin

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