Common in Peru, purple corn is used in chicha morada, a drink made by boiling ground purple corn kernels with pineapple, cinnamon, clove, and sugar, and in mazamorra, a type of pudding".[2] In Bolivia, purple corn "Kuli" is used in Api, a smoothie served hot.[3]
Evaluating growing conditions for anthocyanin and total polyphenol content, one research group found that field location was an important determinant, whereas seedling density and soil potassium content were not.[8]
For ease of extractions, scientists have explored components of the purple corn plant for yield, such as kernels, cob and husk, possibly allowing use of a plentiful, non-edible residual biomass in cobs or husks. Husks of the purple corn plant contain about ten times higher content of anthocyanins than do kernels.[6]
^La diversidad del maíz nativo en Bolivia [The Diversity of Native Maize in Bolivia] (in Spanish). Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Agua/ Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura - FAO. pp. 160 pp.
^ abCuevas Montilla, E; Hillebrand, S; Antezana, A; Winterhalter, P (2011). "Soluble and bound phenolic compounds in different Bolivian purple corn ( Zea mays L.) cultivars". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 59 (13): 7068–74. doi:10.1021/jf201061x. PMID21639140.
^ abcLi, C. Y.; Kim, H. W.; Won, S. R.; et al. (2008). "Corn husk as a potential source of anthocyanins". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 56 (23): 11413–6. doi:10.1021/jf802201c. PMID19007127.
^Zhao, X; Corrales, M; Zhang, C; Hu, X; Ma, Y; Tauscher, B (2008). "Composition and thermal stability of anthocyanins from chinese purple corn ( Zea mays L.)". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 56 (22): 10761–6. doi:10.1021/jf8025056. PMID18950186.
^Jing, P; Noriega, V; Schwartz, S. J.; Giusti, M. M. (2007). "Effects of growing conditions on purple corncob (Zea mays L.) anthocyanins". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 55 (21): 8625–9. doi:10.1021/jf070755q. PMID17880157.