| Flint corn | |
|---|---|
 Flint corn is named for its hard kernels, which typically come in a multitude of colors | |
| Species | Zea mays |
| Variety | Zea mays var.indurata |
Flint corn (Zea mays var.indurata; also known asIndian corn or sometimescalico corn) is a variant ofmaize, the same species as common corn.[1] With less softstarch thandent corn (Zea mays indentata), flint corn does not have the dents in each kernel from which dent corn gets its name.[2] To protect the softendosperm, each kernel has a hard outer layer which is likened to being hard asflint, whence the name.[3] It is one of six major types of corn, the others beingdent corn,pod corn,popcorn,flour corn, andsweet corn.[4]
Flint corn has a long history of cultivation byNative Americans. Researchers have identified flint corn cultivation beginning in the northwest ex-Mexican territories. Flint corn slowly spread from the American southwest through the southeast by about 1 CE and into the northeastern USA and southern Canada by about 1500 CE.[5] Maize (corn) was initially domesticated in Mexico by native peoples about 9,000 years ago. They used many generations of selective breeding to transform a wildteosinte grass with small grains into the rich source of food that is modernZea mays.[citation needed]
Because flint corn has a very low water content, it is more freezing-resistant than other vegetables. It was the onlyVermont crop to surviveNew England's infamous "Year Without a Summer" of 1816.[6]
The coloration of flint corn often differs from white and yellow dent corns, many of which were later bred. Most flint corn is multi-colored. Like the Linnaeus variant of maize, any kernel may contain the yellow pigmentzeaxanthin but at more varying concentrations.[7]
Regional varieties with specific coloration includeblue corn andpurple corn.Glass Gem corn became internet famous in 2012 when photos of this brightly colored flint corn went viral.[8]
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Popcorn (Zea mays everta, "corn turned inside out") is considered a variant of this type. It has a hard, slightly translucent kernel.[9]
Flint corn is also the type of corn preferred for makinghominy, a staple food in the Americas sincepre-Columbian times.
In thePhilippines, theVisayan white corn is an heirloom flint corn variety that is a secondary staple cereal in the country.[10] It descended from the corn introduced by the Spanish during the earlySpanish colonial period (1565–1898).[11] It can be eaten boiled or grilled, used in a wide variety of traditional dishes as an ingredient, or ground intogrits that are eaten as a commonrice substitute.[12][13]
In theUnited States, the flint corn cultivars that have large proportions of kernels withhues outside theyellow range are primarily usedornamentally as part ofThanksgiving decorations. They are often called either "ornamental corn" or "Indian corn", although each of those names also has other meanings. These varieties can be popped and eaten as popcorn, although many people incorrectly believe that such colored varieties are not palatable or are poisonous.