Grilled corn

I ran out of money when I was in Tanzania. I thought I had lost my credit card and debit card, and I called my mother in a panic, telling her to cancel the cards before someone picked them up and used them. Less than 24 hours later, I found both cards in an obscure pocket of my backpack, but too late: the cards had been cancelled, and I could only rejoin the global economy by having the cards shipped to me.

With less than 3 weeks left in Tanzania and extremely uncertain shipping times from the US to Dar es Salaam, we agreed that my cards should be sent to Vietnam, my next destination. A tricky few weeks followed, my pockets empty and my belly growling, constantly approaching my friends to borrow a few shillings.

We spent 10 days in Ifakara, a small town in the interior of Tanzania. Basically a single street, the town quickly gave up its secrets - unexpectedly speedy internet cafes, and a cluttered market where one could buy lunch. With funds low, the most cost-efficient way to fill my belly was to buy fruit and vegetables for pennies on the street, then prepare them to be eaten with a dull pocket knife and the edge of a concrete step. I sucked juice from my hands as I nibbled around the fibrous core of a mango; I smashed coconuts on the sidewalk and slurped the thin milk from cracked shells, carved the sweet flesh into my mouth, astoundingly white in this country devoid of bleach.

And I ate grilled corn. As often as I could get it. The vendors would turn the nubby, irregular ears on their charcoal grills, I would purchase an ear for less than 10 cents, and they would hand it to me with a lime wedge that had been dipped in a mixture of chile and salt. I would rub the lime wedge over the ear, covering the kernels with a mixture of lime juice and seasoning. It was genius, it was dirt-cheap, and it was absolutely delicious.

Corn is getting cheap here in Pittsburgh as the early-producing varieties start to come into season, and Sam and I bought 7 ears for a couple dollars at the farmers market. I could see no reason to deviate from the recipe of the corn vendors in Tanzania, so here it is. Enjoy.

Grilled corn (adapted from those resourceful Tanzanians)

4 ears of corn, still in husks

1 lime

pinch salt

pinch red pepper flakes, or a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper

For each ear of corn, pull back the husks without detaching them from the base of the ear. Remove the silk from inside, then fold the husks back around the ear. You want to make sure the ear is completely covered so it can steam inside the husk, so you can remove excess husks as you see fit.

Grill the ears on a hot grill, turning to brown the husks on each side. Remove from the grill and when cool, peel back husks. Mix the salt and red pepper in a small dish, then cut the lime into fourths. To serve, dip the wedges of lime into the salt mixture and rub over the ears of corn until seasoned to your liking.