Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Te de Pelo de Elote (Corn Hair Tea?)

Yeah I know it sounds odd, it's the silky looking hair part of the corn, we only use the clean looking one's that look beautiful (discard any brownish dirty stuff)

It's suppose to be "bueno pa'los riñones" (good for the kidney's) I don't know I'm not a doctor and currently it's finals week in school for me and I don't feel like researching it ( If your curious google around :)

Regardless of medical benefits or not, it's refreshing especially served cold in this summer heat.


So since corn is in season and there's all this wonderful fresh sweet corn don't waste and throw away the beautiful corn silk give this tea a try. It has a subtle light corn taste.

Ingredients:

-water (I don't know I just added water to the pot until it looked right maybe 9-12 cups)
-corn silk (from about 6-8 fresh corn cobs)
-sugar to taste (optional we didn't use it this time and it doesn't really need it but to each his own)

Directions:
(1)Bring water in pot to a boil with corn silk, and boil together for about 10-15 minutes. Turn off, you can drink it now or let it cool, sweeten with sugar to taste if desired and keep cooled in the fridge.
P.S.
This tea apparently is consumed by both Cubans, Mexicans and other cultures so I'm labeling as both.

8 comments:

FOODalogue said...

Very interesting. I've never heard of this. Don't know that I'd try it but I sure would try the corn stew.

Núria said...

What a funny thing! I never heard of this either Nathan.

I came to your blog to find some inspiration... I'm cooking some alubias rojas today :D. I think I will just make a mix of some of your legume recipes... that's more fun ;D

Espero que estés bien chico with all this fires burning your beautiful country!

Mar said...

Hola, Nathan.
Soy Mar, de los Sabores Perdidos.
El pimiento rojo seco lo puedes sustituír por pimentón dulce de la Vera(con una cucharadita es suficiente). No sé lo que es el pimentón caliente, así no podría decirte.
También podrías sustituírlo por "carne de pimento choricero" que se obtiene de remojar pimientos rojos secos y que suele venderse en tarritos pequeños y tiene un aspecto similar al tomate concentrado. Aunque claro, si no encuentras pimientos secos tampoco será fácil encontrar carne de pimiento.
También puedes secarlos tu mismo. Compra pimientos rojos dulces que no sean muy carnosos, los atas a una cuerda del rabito formando una ristra (como un bonito collar) y los dejas secar al aire libre en un sitio que no sea húmdo (si vives en la costa será imposible) hasta que se queden secos, y "momificados".
Un saludo.

Anonymous said...

I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TEACHING US A LITTLE OF YOU, THANK YOU. PATRICIA FROM ODESSA, TEXAS

Anonymous said...

Pello De Elote tea must be good for kidney stone, because i took my mom to the doctor in Mexico, and my mom told the doctor that i had gone to the emergency for kidney stone pain. Man, that pain was aweful...i thought i was gonna die! the doctor in Mexico told me to buy this tea at the phamacy, when we went for my mom's prescription. Anyway, the pharmacist told me that tea was really good for desolving kidney stones. the 2nd ingredient in this tea is "Pelo De Elote", so it must be true. i drink this tea twice a day everday, every 2 weeks...since back in January and haven't had any more pains or discomforts. i highly recomend this tea...any tea with "pelo de elote". drink it anytime, as a preventative measure, you never know when you'll wake up at 4am with that sharp pain in your kidneys man. just drink that one box of teas per month. Other ingredients in this tea (in order): PINGUICA, PELO DE ELOTE, DORADILLA, TARAJE, COLA DE CABALLO and GUASIMA.
the tea is called "TIKAL", the brand is "Therbal". but i guess any brand tea with the same ingredient would be just as good. I know, t.m.i.... But i hope my info here helps some.
- C., from So.California.

Nathan said...

Anonymous,
Thank you for the info, I find Mexican herbal medicine pretty intriguing, good to know it's helped you with kidney stones, I always drink this corn silk tea when corn is in season :) shoot did you know there's even herbal combinations that even stop womans menstrual period temporarily? Crazy stuff right.

Anonymous said...

What's are the name of the herbs to stop periods???

Unknown said...

gracias por la receta de quiso de maiz...
voy tambien a tratar el te de corn hair..
creo que se llama corn silk... :)