| Lagkitan corn | |
|---|---|
 Lagkitan corn | |
| Species | Zea mays L. var.ceratina |
| Origin | Philippines |
Lagkitan corn, also known aswhite lagkitan corn, is an heirloomcultivar ofwaxy corn from thePhilippines. It is one of the two most commonly cultivated corn varieties in the country (the other being theVisayan white corn). It is made into various traditional dishes likebinatog andcornick.[1]
Lagkitan means "sticky" inTagalog. It is known under a variety of regional names which also mean "sticky", includingVisayanpilit,Tagalogmalagkit,Ilocanodikket, andBikolpulutan, among others. Many of these names may also reflect genetically distinct regional strains.[2][3] These names are also shared by various heirloom cultivars ofglutinous rice.[4]
Corn is native to theAmericas, but it was introduced early into the Philippines (throughCebu) during theSpanish colonial period (1565–1898). The earliest records of corn crops in the Philippines is from Cebu in the 1700s, though it was probably introduced earlier, along withtobacco andcacao.[5][6] Throughnatural selection and human-directed plant breeding over centuries, the introduced corn has developed into multiple local varieties with considerable genetic variability.[5]
Lagkitan is one of these cultivars characterized by being sticky when cooked. It has medium to big soft and typically white kernels. It is anopenly pollinated variety (OPV) of corn. From planting, it can be harvested after 72 days, with an average marketable ear yield of 40 tons/hectare.[7]
Lagkitan corn are harvested when the husk is still green.[8] It is the traditional and preferred corn cultivar to be boiled on the cob and eaten as is, though in modern times, it is increasingly being replaced by importedsweet corn.[3]
It can also be made into various traditional dishes includingbinatog andcornick.[1] When dried, it can also be ground into cornmeal,grits, orcornflour.[9]