Not So Garden Variety

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May 21, 2012
2 Comments

 

If Tim Burton were a farmer, this would be his corn. If this corn grew up in any 20th century decade, it would be the 70s. This picture is as enticing as it gets, but just so you don’t confuse this article with a contest for your best multi-colored corn metaphors, (Alice in Wonderland corn? Rave corn?), we’ll dissert.

In this not-so-garden-variety corn, each kernel is actually a different corn plant. (New contest opportunity: guess how many corn plants are on each cob.) It’s called “Glass Gems” corn, and other than being psychedelic, the seeds have been helpful in honing genetic research on transposons, or jumping genes. Not surprisingly, seeds are in high demand. If you manage to get your hands on some, though, you’ll be sure to have the best-looking corn salad at the barbeque. This is a whole new league of offbeat produce.

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Kenzi Wilbur

Written by: Kenzi Wilbur

I have a thing for most foods topped with a fried egg, a strange disdain for overly soupy tomato sauce, and I can never make it home without ripping off the end of a newly-bought baguette. I like spoons very much.

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2 Comments

SKK
SKK May 21, 2012
I saw this article on Grist, and have put myself on the waiting list for the seeds. Beautiful and amazing! And not gmo
 
Nozlee S.
Nozlee S. May 21, 2012
Pretty sure I owned a bracelet that looked exactly like this in the early 90s.