Narragansett White Flint Corn

Narragansett White (also known as Rhode Island White Cap) is among the most widely recognized and highest yielding eight-rowed flint corn varieties in the world. The reason for this, unfortunately, is largely due to its color.

Prior to the Colonial Era, hundreds of unique flint corn varieties were grown by indigenous people throughout the Northeast, many of which are now extinct. Among those still grown today, the vast majority are varying shades of yellow and orange, which European colonists believed to be more marketable than the darker red and blue varieties. These market standards were shaped by more than just aesthetics, but also racial prejuduce. Red flint corn specifically was commonly said to be unholy, having been associated with the so-called "devilish Indian” and intentionally eliminated from many farm fields as a result.

Naturally, the white flint of Rhode Island became very highly-regarded for it's percieved “purity”. Remnants of these Colonial purity standards still shape consumer preferences today, as any baking aisle filled with refined white flour can attest to.

While it’s famed reputation may be rooted in some less-than-wholesome beliefs, there’s no denying that Narragansett White (and the people it’s named for) deserve great recognition in their own right. After all, this flint corn was a prized dietary staple long before Europeans ever set foot on the North American coast.

When uncovering a variety’s history, cultural myths and tribal folklore can offer valuable insights that modern researchers often overlook and Narragansett White is perhaps one of the very best examples of this. According to Narragansett oral tradition, their people once endured a particularly harsh winter, prompting them to ask the Creator for guidance. In response, they were instructed to send their strongest warrior on a journey to the Southwest in search of a solution. Upon this warrior’s return, he carried seeds of a high-yielding white flint corn which would sustain the Narragansett people for many winters to come.

Over the years, many historians have dismissed stories like this as mere legend. But centuries later, ethnobotanists confirmed what this myth had long preserved: the origin of Narragansett White does, in fact, trace back to the American Southwest. The most revealing evidence for the history of our world’s food crops isn’t always found in the written record, but rather with the people who have grown them the longest (even if you have to read between the lines a bit).

Last Grown in 2024