Have you ever been to Eko-Idumota on a Saturday to shop? Ever been to the Trade-fair arena at Badagry on any day at that? Even 3rd mainland on a Monday morning! I used to think queues plus large crowds were only found at bus stations(especially on those Monday mornings and at the close of work); Petrol stations (those times of fuel scarcity or when it is rumoured and folks are just reacting to information). The only other times I've seen such long queues are in actual traffic, market places like Mile 12, Yaba and the likes when everyone( cars and pedestrians alike) is practically at a standstill...brushing shoulders as they pass.
Maybe these are not the best scenarios to allow play in your heads as you imagine all the craziness, but what else can be likened to those clustered mills of people at the roadside at every minute of the day, coming out of their expensive autos on major expressways just to buy one thing...corn worth N500 or less! Do you ever wonder? I wonder o. This Corn Craze is a shocker. Every time I travel either long or short stretches, the crowds are always there...towering above 'mama Nkechi', crisp notes stretched out in the droves. Be on the look out henceforth...try observe too. See them in their head gears, suits & ties with absolutely no shame whatsoever- this is not to imply there should be shame attached to buying corn on the road side. After all, I stop to buy fries (what we popularly call dundun and akara) almost every other weekend.
CeeCee, my choice pseudonym for Corn Craze.
Shockingly, it isn't just a 'Nigerian thingy', the Native Americans as well as many other cultures throughout the world love it. Although in this part of the world, we often associate corn with the color yellow, it actually comes in host of different varieties featuring an array of different colors, including red, pink, black, purple, and blue. I'll sure love to eat the pink someday...that's the girly colour for sure and I am female so don't blame me. In my poetic element I wrote this eulogy to a rare one...no rhymes intended, it's a free verse. Enjoy!
Corn. Corn.
Our friendly fibre
Highly nourishing to our digestive tracts
Amazing grain that you are
Who dares call you plain, staple food or just mere snack?
Our long, unique, phytonutrient-rich food
The surest source of Manganese
Carotenoids leads the way; lutein, Zeaxanthin, hydroxybenzoic acid and protocatechuic acid...
The strongest antioxidants known to the specie 'man'
Corn. Corn.
Its diverse carotenoids is highly nourishing, providing superb health benefits too
A sure protection against cardiovascular problems, against risks of high blood pressure and the many 'whatnots' attacking the blood system.
Eat it fresh, while on its cob. Eat it popped or off its cob, mixed with beans as my grandmamma would too.
All these is sure to increase your fibre uptake
Good fibres providing me with many B-complex vitamins...B1, B5, folic acid
All key macronutrients for stabilizing the passage of food; steadying sugar uptake into the bloodstream and of course spikes or drops in sugar level is avoided this way.
I bet you didn't know too as I just found out, another fascinating thing about corn...its potential antiHIV activity!
Lectins are considered special proteins found in virtually all foods and for that matter, in virtually all organisms. They have the ability to bind onto carbohydrates or onto carbohydrate receptors that are found on cell membranes. In the case of some micro-organisms (including the HIV virus), the binding of lectins onto sugars has been shown to help inhibit activity of the virus. An example of lectin found in corn which is called GNAmaize has preliminarily been shown to possess this HIV-inhibiting property. Of course, research is still on going so keep the protection-guard on; no needle sharing and all the things we've been warned against.
Should you consume corn? Yes! Absolutely. Join in the craze...
Writer's note- dundun refers to fried yam while akara refers to bean cake
Mama Nkechi is a fictitious representation of all corn sellers
