Imagine sinking your teeth into a sweet and waxy textured black corn, perfect for making the most delicious mochi or just enjoying as a sweet treat. Japanese black sticky corn owes its stickiness to a natural mutation that sets it apart from other corn varieties. Harvest it immature and watch as the kernels turn a delicate shade of purple. Steam or grill the ears for a subtle sweetness that will leave you craving more. In Asia, roadside vendors can be found tending baskets full of steamed sticky corn. The tall and vigorous stalks of this variety can reach up to 6.5 feet, producing one to two ears that are 7-9 inches long, with 12 to 15 rows of stunning glossy black kernels when fully mature.

The history of sticky corn is shrouded in mystery and a matter of historical debate. While corn is believed to have been introduced to China by Portuguese traders in the 1520s, the presence of sticky corn in China nearly 100 years earlier suggests that the crop may have taken root there even before Columbus discovered the Americas. Some researchers even suggest that Chinese traders may have acquired corn on an expedition to Peru in the early 1400s. Interestingly, ancient temples in India depict images of ears of corn, leading some experts to believe that Asia may have discovered the Americas long before Europe. This theory, however, is widely debated and challenges centuries of Eurocentric historical record.