Huminta

Fernanda Quiroz’s humintas, shared by Bowen, wrap fresh-corn mixture and queso fresco in the corn’s own husks. Anise seeds flavour the mixture, and strips of husk tie the parcels closed.

The husks are carefully removed and saved. The corn’s hair is removed, the kernels are taken off by hand and the cobs are kept for cooking. The kernels are ground in a food processor.

The corn is mixed with sugar and salt in a bowl, followed by anise seeds and melted butter. If the mixture is very liquid, it may be strained a little to reach the porridge-like consistency described by the recipe.

The larger husks are trimmed at their thick part and overlapped. Corn mixture is placed in the centre with the selected shredded queso fresco on top. The husk tips and sides fold inward, and a strip of husk secures each parcel.

The reserved cobs go into a pot with water. Once the water boils, the first humintas are placed face up in it, with the remaining parcels above the water. They cook for forty to sixty minutes. The source serves these humintas with coffee at breakfast or as an afternoon snack.