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Dried purple corn

Grains, rice & flours · Grains & cereals

Dried purple corn

Deep purple Peruvian corn cobs boiled with pineapple and spices for chicha morada and mazamorra morada.

Also called: maíz morado, maiz morado, purple maize, peruvian purple corn

Around the world: maíz morado (es)

1 recipe with it

Photo: Malosh, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

What it is

Maíz morado is a corn from the Andes whose kernels and cob are almost black-purple. It is usually sold as whole dried cobs, sometimes as flour or extract. It is boiled for its colour and flavour rather than eaten, and it is not the same as blue corn used for tortillas, though both are coloured by similar anthocyanin pigments.

Zea mays (purple variety)

How it’s used

  • Boiled with pineapple peel, cinnamon and cloves for chicha morada
  • Thickened with starch into mazamorra morada pudding
  • Colouring jellies and desserts

Characteristics

Taste
Mild, slightly sweet and earthy; the drink tastes of the spices and fruit added.
Appearance
Dark purple to black kernels on a purple cob.
When cooked
Releases deep purple colour into boiling water; colour shifts redder with acid such as lime.
Sold as
dried, powder, extract
Cooking uses
Suitable for boiling

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Keep dried cobs in a sealed bag in a cool, dry place away from pests.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • The purple colour stains boards, cloth and hands.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
365 kcal
Protein
9.42 g
Carbohydrate
74.26 g
Fat
4.74 g
Fibre
7.3 g
Sugars
0.64 g

USDA FoodData Central: Corn grain, yellow (a close stand-in).

Related ingredients

Recipes with dried purple corn

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