Corn, packed with fibre, vitamins, and minerals, is a favourite cereal for many. Who doesn’t love munching on popcorn while watching a movie or enjoying boiled corn with a dash of salt and lime juice at tourist centres? When asked about the colour of corn, most people would say golden yellow. But did you know there's a corn that boasts rainbow hues, resembling bright-coloured beads arranged in straight lines? This maize, known as Glass Gem Corn, is 100% original and not at all fake.
The multi-coloured, unique corn was developed by Carl Barnes, a Native American from the Cherokee tribe in Oklahoma, the United States. The striking appearance of Glass Gem Corn has been making waves on social media for many years. Barnes developed this extraordinary corn by cross-breeding Pawnee miniature popcorn, Osage red flour corn, and Osage Greyhound corn in various permutations and combinations. Although Barnes had been cultivating Glass Gem Corn on his farm since the 1980s, the outside world only discovered it in 1995.
The rare corn was introduced to India in 2008. Despite its vibrant rainbow colours, it tastes like any other corn. Glass Gem Corn can be used to make popcorn and cornmeal and also serves as a decorative plant.
