Corn Smut!
Posted by niilaaci aacimwaapiikonki on Monday, August 4
I recently found some corn smut growing on one of the tassels of the Dakota corn in the Three Sisters Garden. Corn smut has probably been around as long as corn has been in existence and indigenous people have found it useful for food and ceremonial uses. Much of the literature you will find on corn smut labels it as a pathogen or a disease that infects corn and that when found the smut must be destroyed so as to not infect the rest of the crop. For indigenous peoples, it is not a disease or a pathogen at all. Instead of destroying it, it can be eaten. Corn smut is highly nutritious and tastes something like wild mushrooms.
On the smut in the picture above it even looks like some corn kernels have grown out of the tassel!
