Yucatán highlights the value of corn with three fairs in September

Sept. 29 is National Corn Day in Mexico, and to celebrate the date Yucatán will hold three fairs in its honor.

Criollo corn is still harvested within traditional communities, and it is in constant danger of disappearing. Photo: Courtesy

The first fair will be on Sept. 25 and 26 at the Plaza Paseo Canek First National Corn, Chili, and Cocoa Fair. There will be products such as green, white, and red pozole, tamales, marquesitas, and casseroles.

The Second Maíz Criollo Fair will be a hybrid on Sept. 27 and 28, with talks and chats through the social networks of the Múul Meyaj Collective.

On Sept. 29 the fair will take place physically at the Yucatecan Song Museum, with corn products made in the state. During this festival, workshops on the craft of backstrap loom and Yucatecan Trova will be offered.

Creole corn survives thanks to the labor of communities dedicated to traditional agriculture. Photo: Courtesy

Elena Fernández Morales, secretary of the Board of Directors of the Museo de la Canción Yucateca, emphasizes that having agriculture and corn as a focus is a great opportunity.

“The Popol Vuh looks at the corn man as a sacred theme for the Maya culture. To this day, it continues to be a food of the first order and of great nutritional quality.”

Another event to be celebrated Sept. 29 will be a gastronomic sample of dishes made by traditional cooks in the municipality of Umán. The dishes will be made with harvests directly from the cornfield, highlighting the presence of harvesting women.

The dishes that will be served at the festivals will be made from all varieties of locally grown corn. Photo: Courtesy

Elsa Torres Zapata, Regional Expert of the Mexican Agrobiodiversity Project in the State of Yucatan, extends her gratitude and recognition to the traditional cooks and to those who care for, value, and disseminate, not only about corn but about all the associated crops such as chili.

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