Maize, Green Maize

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Green Maize

***** Location: Kenya and neighbouring countries
***** Season: Cool dry season, hot dry season
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

Maize harvested before it is quite ripe, while it is still fairly soft, is called Green Maize. This food is greatly enjoyed, as it is the first output of the staple grain during the season, and it can sometimes be the first harvested food after a period of hunger, even famine.

The maize cobs are sold in street markets, still covered by their inner leaves. They may also be sold freshly boiled or grilled, for immediate consumption on the spot.

Green maize is particularly appreciated for making soft mûkimû or gîtheri suitable for elderly people who may have lost some of their teeth. However, it is not suited for storage -- which means that the maize eaten for most of the year consists of the ripe grains, decobbed, sundried and stored in a safe place until needed.

The main page for maize, covering further maize related kigo in Kenya, may be found here :
Maize / Corn

Isabelle Prondzynski.

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Here is a delicious plate of gîtheri -- enjoy!


http://img1.travelblog.org/Photos/12529/67575/f/405255-githeri--my-favourite-food-0.jpg

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Worldwide use

The Kenyan Green Maize is equivalent to the yellow maize eaten as sweetcorn or corn on the cob in many other countries. The main difference is the maize variety -- Kenya maize being white rather than yellow, and therefore less sweet and more savoury in flavour.

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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

fresh grain of maize
on the dry Kayole street --
sharp eyes of the hen

~ Isabelle Prondzynski

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From Bahati Haiku Poetry Club (The Bamboochas) :

a swarm of houseflies
on cobs and leftovers--
green maize

~ David Wandera

蝿の群れ 青唐黍の 屑の上
hae no mure ao tookibi no kuzu no ue
Translation by Nakamura Sakuo


boiled maize --
jaws move up and down
chewing hard

~ Depporah Mocheche


a man
with his customer by his side
roasting maize

~ Walter Ochola


Green maize roaster, January 2005
Photo : Isabelle Prondzynski


at Soweto Market--
men unloading maize
from a blue lorry

~ Raymond Otieno

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at the fireside --
happy kids telling stories
as they roast maize

~ Kevin Safari

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early morning
kids chase weaverbirds
from their green maize

~ Patrick Wafula

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From Falcons Haiku Poetry Club (Lorna Waddington) :

maize in the garden
standing still on the farm
Kadima enjoys the taste

~ Susan


elephants enjoying
the villagers chasing them
beating drums

~ Simon


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warm steam from
the boiled maize sufuria--
evening showers

Hussein Haji


Sufuria cooking pot


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Related words

***** Maize / Corn as a kigo


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