Maize, or Corn, is native to the Americas. As far as is known, maize arrived in Africa sometime after the early 1500s. It quickly spread and is now common throughout the continent. In Africa, maize is often ground into meal (mealie-meal) which is then made into Fufu-like staples such as Fufu, Banku & Kenkey, Nshima, Ugali, and Sadza, that are eaten with sauces, soups, and stews. In Eastern Africa it is used in Irio. Boiled corn is sometimes prepared at home. Grilled corn on the cob, Maïs grillé in French-speaking Africa, is often available from street-vendors as a sort of African fast food.
Grilled corn-on-the-cob topped with ground cayenne pepper (red pepper), salt, and lemon juice, often sold by street vendors, is popular in Swahili-speaking areas of Eastern Africa.
Fresh corn is much better if it is consumed the same day it is purchased; the same day it is picked if possible.
Maize (Corn) Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large bowl or bucket, cover the ears of corn (still in their husks) with cold water. Soak them for ten to fifteen minutes. Remove and drain. Cook on an outdoor grill for about fifteen minutes on a rack over hot coals, turning frequently. Serve immediately, with salt and butter. To serve, carefully remove the husk and silky threads. (To be very fancy, before soaking, peel the husks without removing them, remove the silky threads, then put the husks back in place, holding them with kitchen string.) The husks and silks can also be removed before grilling.
Remove husks and silky threads from corn. Drop the corn into a large pot water which has been heated to a rolling boil. Cover. Keep heat on high until the water begins to boil again. Lower heat and allow corn to cook for five minutes. Serve immediately, with butter.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large bowl or bucket, cover the ears of corn (still in their husks) with cold water. Soak them for ten to fifteen minutes. Remove and drain. Cook on an outdoor grill for about fifteen minutes on a rack over hot coals, turning frequently. Serve immediately, with salt and butter. To serve, carefully remove the husk and silky threads. (To be very fancy, before soaking, peel the husks without removing them, remove the silky threads, then put the husks back in place, holding them with kitchen string.) The husks and silks can also be removed before grilling.
Remove husks and silky threads from corn. Drop the corn into a large pot water which has been heated to a rolling boil. Cover. Keep heat on high until the water begins to boil again. Lower heat and allow corn to cook for five minutes. Serve immediately, with butter.
Corn or Grain? In olden times the English word corn was used as a synonym for grain. Thus, in many historical documents, barley, wheat, etc., is the corn of Europe. When the English first came to the Americas, they used the words Indian corn to refer to the Native American Maize they saw. Later, this was shortened to just “corn“. In Africa, Kaffir Corn or Kafir Corn was a common term for the native varieties of millet.