Mais/corn

I wanted to write about my 28th day of holiday(in order to continue with the 27th...12th...2nd,1st,0, -1, -2...). But I've changed my mind as I found something interesting(to me, at least).

In Peru I ate some incredible tasty pop-corn, which was actually roasted corn seeds, that wouldn't pop up. I brought some with me from the stores but it doesn't compare with what we had in restaurants or home made.

And what did princess think, why don't we bring them over? It's tasty... my grandmother can cultivate some of these as well, near the few ha she has already. Let's just see if it's legal.
Conclusions:

1. Some varieties they have belong to that kind of particular climate,soil, unique in the world

2. It is actully forbidden to take seeds in and out the country, especially take them to Peru Explanation: you cultivate them and the polination can turn the local ones into hibrid;

3. The country where the oldest seed of corn was found, Mexic, is threaten by monocrop and by altering the original mais because some genetic modified corn, that was introduced in the country by a company, either was specifically planted by farmers (though illegal, that plant is more resistant), either the pollen was taken by the wind;

4. Peru refused to let that kind of modified corn to be cultivated and, although people could have had short term advantage on lower costs, they preffered to protect the diversity and their independency(the company has a stipulation that they are not allowed to replant and sell it the next year unless they pay/renew the contract... that kind of stuff) - there were the locals in Cusco region that faught the most. - RESPECT!

You might find it boring, but I find it encouraging that a poor country as Peru found the power to say no to "progress" and "efficienty", it's true that some of them might understand that they live of the original traditions and even if there was no turism they could still live their way, kind of like win-win situation, as long as they keep away from the companies.




This is roasted mais, the seeds are regular, but the picture is taken too close. We ate this at a traditional "restaurant"(all of them were traditional, the ones called traditional were a bit more expensive), after tasting 20 types of wine(we visited a winery).