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I heard a rumor (from my Mexican grandmother) that the corn husks we use to make tamales are not taken from the outside of corn. She said that farmers grow fields of special corn stalks that don't produce corn, they just produce the husks. I can't substantiate this on the web, so I was just wondering if anyone out there knew about this. Do corn stalks grow just bundles of husks? Is this purposeful or accidental?

2007-12-02 14:55:18 · 8 answers · asked by teajaze 2 in Food & Drink Ethnic Cuisine

8 answers

Granny was pulling your leg! The husks used for tamale making are the same husks that once covered the ear of corn inside that got ground to make the masa for the tamales.

American Indians once used the corn husk for a multitude of household items - baskets, slippers, sandals, mats, rugs, salt containers. If you ever have the opportunity to visit the New York State Museum at Albany, you will find one of the best collections around of items like this made with corn husks. Over a hundred years ago the head curator at the museum, Arthur C. Parker by name, was of Iroquois descent. He used his contacts within the Iroquois community to deliberately collect examples of things like this while people who knew how to make them were still alive.

A. C. Parker wrote dozens of books and scholarly articles, more than a few of which are available online. You'll find much more about him here. http://www.google.com/search?q=c.+Arthur+Parker&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

One of those books is specifically about the multitude of ways that the Iroquois grew and used corn. A very interesting read.

2007-12-02 20:08:15 · answer #1 · answered by livsgrandma 5 · 1 0

I find that hard to believe.
The reason is that the farmer is going to waste time, water, land and money to grow husk only without growing food.

Maybe the farmer picks some husk hearly before the corn matures, but I would think it's the same corn that they use for food.

2007-12-02 17:40:06 · answer #2 · answered by Dave C 7 · 1 0

Not true. Through history the corn was ground to make the masa for the tamales. then the husk used. Customerly everything that can be used will be used as in mexico there is a lot of poor. therefore money is not waisteed

2007-12-02 16:36:32 · answer #3 · answered by juliannamivida 2 · 1 0

Good question! Like the person before me, I was going to suggest the baking parchment paper. I have never worked with it but you both have inspired me to try. I used to love making tamales but got sick of picking through the corn husks to find ones that didn't look like they had been dried with mold or mildew on them. Now that GMO corn is everywhere, I have one more reason to find an alternative to corn husks.

2016-04-07 04:54:21 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

That doesn't make sense. Maybe she was kidding or something was lost in the translation. Why would anyone try to grow an empty husk when corn cobs already come with husks on them?

2007-12-02 15:05:17 · answer #5 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 2 1

It doesn't seem logical to me that you can grow husks without corn.
You plan a grain of corn, the plant grows making husks and an ear of corn.
You can't plant husks and get husks!!

2007-12-02 15:00:22 · answer #6 · answered by Tenn Gal 6 · 2 1

Hmm, that's not possible unless tamales have historically been used in Mexico using GMO corn (and I mean for generations)...

like how there is seedless watermelon
there'd be no way to propagate that corn!

2007-12-03 12:16:43 · answer #7 · answered by Stinkypuppy 3 · 0 0

Maybe she meant that the stalk bears more husk than it does cob.. and that the cob is not used for human consumption (and most likely given to animals).

2007-12-03 01:47:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

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