Githigo is a customary ecotype of maize grown by the Gikuyu people, who inhabit the central region of Kenya. With bigger white, red, and purple kernels than the usual kinds, the plant has a higher stem than normal maize. This maize is perfect for making githeri because of the bigger kernels. Though it’s a traditional Kikuyu cuisine, this dish—made from boiling maize and beans—is easy and healthy and has gained popularity across the nation.
The recipe is made by adding the beans and maize to a saucepan filled with water and boiling them until they are tender. This recipe, which calls for a variety of beans, is a great way to get protein, which is sometimes lacking in the undernourished diets of many Kenyans. You may add more flavor to the recipe by adding meat, potatoes, or veggies.
Once all of these components have been properly mashed and combined, you may make mukimo, another traditional meal that is consumed during significant rituals like initiations, marriages, childbirth celebrations, or even engagements.
On the other hand, ugali—a cornmeal eaten in balls and flavored with different salsas—or porridge can be prepared with flour manufactured from maize, which is processed using a stone grinder.
This ecotype is in danger of going extinct because of the increasing marketing of hybrid seeds and the ignorance surrounding the effects of biodiversity loss. Ghitigo maize is actually quite hard to get, either on the market or straight from farmers. The government’s policies that favor GMOs and hybrids worsen the problem. Some restrictions even make it illegal for farmers to independently reproduce these seeds.
The Agĩkũyũ used to grow 3 varieties of maize (see photo)
1. Nyamũthaka- Purple grained
2. Nyamũkũũ- White grains with a few dark purple ones.
3. Njerũ- Yellow
They were planted in both mbura ya njahi and mbura ya mwere seasons and were fast maturing varieties.
Maize was a woman’s crop and men rarely got involved in planting it.
It was planted in the same way some old women still plant it today by using a mũro or kahiũ ga kũrima.
Bending from the waist they thrust the panga into the the soil at an angle jerk in up slightly, throw the seeds under the panga into the hole while it is still in the soil and then withdraw it thus covering the soil.
Phenolic compounds in Purple corn have been shown in numerous studies to have potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic, and anti-angiogenesis properties.They were also found to ameliorate lifestyle diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases, based on their strong antioxidant power involving biochemical regulation amelioration.
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