This class focuses on home techniques for transforming raw corn, similar to what you might grow in your own backyard, into delicious staple foods. From its remarkable domestication in southwest Mexico, corn, also known as maize, traveled up and down the Americas and then around the world. Along the way, it became an important food for billions of people who process and prepare it in an amazing variety of ways. In this class, we will explore some of those traditions. We will discuss the categories (sweet, flint, dent) and many varieties of corn, before nixtamalizing, dehulling, grinding, kneading, steaming, and pressing it into many tasty gluten-free creations such as polenta, hominy, tortillas, tamales, and arepas, as time allows. The science and history of this remarkable grain will be discussed.

Students aged 16+ may register for this course independently. Students aged 12-15 may register with a full-paying adult. Adult/child pairs will complete two projects and pay two materials fees. A 25% tuition discount applies to the youth registrant when registering with a full paying adult; call to register.