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Photo: Nate Lemuel
Active Time:15 minsTotal Time:15 minsServings:36Jump to Nutrition Facts
Active Time:15 minsTotal Time:15 minsServings:36
Active Time:15 mins
Active Time:
15 mins
Total Time:15 mins
Total Time:
Servings:36
Servings:
36
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Jump to recipe
Toasted Seneca White Corn Has Fueled Native Americans for Centuries. These No-Bake Energy Balls Are a Modern Way to Harness Its Vitality.
No other plant is as geographically ubiquitous as corn. Its origin story begins nearly 9,000 years ago in Southern Mexico in a time when wild grass called teosinte studded the hillsides and river valleys. During this time, humans began selecting and planting the small kernels found tucked into the tiny sheaths of teosinte. Over millennia, they produced stronger varieties of seeds in a process that would begin the long and shared relationship between people and corn.
Today, when I look at the Seneca white corn seeds that my family continues to grow and cook, I see the legacy of our ancestors and their journey to bring the songs, knowledge and language of corn to our people. White corn has long existed as an integral part of the Seneca way of life as both a source of sustenance in times of war and peace and as part of our cultural center of existence. It is embedded in our ceremonies and forms a part of our worldview that emphasizes the symbiotic relationship required for us to be in relationship with corn as a living being that needs nurturing and as a gift for which we are continually grateful.
Nate Lemuel
White corn energy sits in contrast to modern-day energy bars, which are primarily wheat-, rice- or sugar-based and derived from crops introduced to the Americas approximately 300 years ago. The introduction of these foreign ingredients into Native American diets throughout the history of government food-assistance programs, along with forced relocation and removal from homelands, served to disrupt traditional food production and eating practices, eventually leading to the genesis of unhealthy foods and eating patterns within Indigenous communities. Wheat, sugar and rice have not served our people well, and in thinking about an energy source more relevant to our Indigenous culture, my parents began to imagine an alternative energy bite that harkened back to the white corn energy that our ancestors had relied upon.
Corn was a central part of our diets for thousands of years. Our bodies have adapted to utilize corn and crave its nutrients and taste.This was the thought process behind the search to find sustained energy in foods that would be especially beneficial for athletes. As a competitive athlete in running and lacrosse, my dad, Dave Bray, knew he felt a more sustained energy after eating Seneca white corn products. Seneca white corn no-bake energy balls were developed based on this understanding. These corn-based bites utilize the energy source that enabled runners to journey long distances, along with the quick energy derived from maple syrup, topped off with protein from peanut butter for sustained stamina.
I remember the first time I tried the bites. They were fresh out of the bowl from a test batch my parents were working on with the help of Buffalo State College nutrition students. My brain registered the familiar nuttiness of roasted white cornmeal, and with it came the memories of the Haudenosaunee ceremonial longhouse and the cultural teachings of our corn, beans and squash—our life sustainers. The blending of ancient and new flavors brought about an important recognition for me about the way Indigenous people and my ancestors have continued to innovate around food so that it stays alive in our hearts, bodies and minds. Every bite that I now take of the Senecawhite corn no-bake energy bites has begun forming its own set of memories that, in time, will continue to be passed on to others.
Traditional foods like Seneca white corn are revitalizing efforts of farmers, practitioners and activists for the health of their communities. As this network continues to grow, so do the many hands that now take care of Seneca white corn. In Marin Country in Northern California, The Cultural Conservancy has become a steward of Seneca white corn, in an exchange that marks its movement from east to west on a journey of continued growth and resilience. The journey of Seneca white corn continues with the sharing of seeds with our relatives in the West to continue growing our relationship with corn for the next seven generations.
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients1 ½cupsquick oats1cuproasted white corn flour (see Tip)1teaspoonground cinnamon1teaspoonsalt½cupnatural peanut butter¼cupunsweetened applesauce2tablespoonspure maple syrup2tablespoonswater2tablespoonshoney1teaspoonvanilla extract½cupunsweetened coconut flakes, plus more for rolling½cupdried fruit, such as raisins and/or currants½cupunsalted roasted mixed chopped nuts, such as pecans, almonds, walnuts and/or hazelnuts
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
1 ½cupsquick oats
1cuproasted white corn flour (see Tip)
1teaspoonground cinnamon
1teaspoonsalt
½cupnatural peanut butter
¼cupunsweetened applesauce
2tablespoonspure maple syrup
2tablespoonswater
2tablespoonshoney
1teaspoonvanilla extract
½cupunsweetened coconut flakes, plus more for rolling
½cupdried fruit, such as raisins and/or currants
½cupunsalted roasted mixed chopped nuts, such as pecans, almonds, walnuts and/or hazelnuts
DirectionsLine a baking sheet with parchment paper.Combine oats, corn flour, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in peanut butter, applesauce, maple syrup, 2 tablespoons water, honey and vanilla. Gently stir in coconut flakes, dried fruit and nuts.With clean hands, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls, using about 1 heaping tablespoon to make each. (If the mixture is too dry to roll, stir in 1 tablespoon water.) Roll in more coconut, if desired.TipYou can buy roasted white corn flour from Gakwi:yo:h Farms online atshop.senecamuseum.org.Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, November 2022
Directions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Combine oats, corn flour, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in peanut butter, applesauce, maple syrup, 2 tablespoons water, honey and vanilla. Gently stir in coconut flakes, dried fruit and nuts.With clean hands, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls, using about 1 heaping tablespoon to make each. (If the mixture is too dry to roll, stir in 1 tablespoon water.) Roll in more coconut, if desired.TipYou can buy roasted white corn flour from Gakwi:yo:h Farms online atshop.senecamuseum.org.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine oats, corn flour, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in peanut butter, applesauce, maple syrup, 2 tablespoons water, honey and vanilla. Gently stir in coconut flakes, dried fruit and nuts.
With clean hands, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls, using about 1 heaping tablespoon to make each. (If the mixture is too dry to roll, stir in 1 tablespoon water.) Roll in more coconut, if desired.
Tip
You can buy roasted white corn flour from Gakwi:yo:h Farms online atshop.senecamuseum.org.
Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, November 2022
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Nutrition Facts(per serving)77Calories4gFat9gCarbs2gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
