Corn Harvest

The corn my family planted around our compound and out in the fields is ready for harvest, and my family has started bringing in huge piles of ears of corn to be shucked, pulled off the cob, dried, and stored. Eventually the kernels will be pounded, sifted, and steamed into cornmeal couscous, or lacciri, and we'll eat it for dinner with maafe haako leaf sauce.

Shucking the first round of corn

Some of the the neighbor kids came to help

In the shade of the mango tree

My favorite part was when Mamadou, my 13-year-old host brother, would carefully remove the corn without disturbing the husk, leaving a hollow corn decoy, which he would then put back on top of the pile. When I  picked one up it crumpled in my hand, I looked around in confusion and he just doubled over in a fit of laughter.

The neighbors and people from the village stopped by to say hi, drink some molten-hot ultra-sweet tea, eat a little roasted corn, and be amused that I knew how to shuck corn all by myself.

My other favorite part was Sajou Ba, Crown Prince of the Corn Harvest.

Sajou Ba, Mankaba, and Diouma: Corn Royalty