Grilled Corn on the Cob

Corn grilled in its husk, buttered and salted, is street food across a great deal of Africa. It is sold from braziers and roadside grills in Nigeria as agbado, in Ghana, in Kenya as mahindi choma, and across the continent wherever maize grows, which is nearly everywhere. Maize is not indigenous to Africa. It came from the Americas through Portuguese trade in the sixteenth century and became one of the continent's dominant staples within a few hundred years, ground into the flours behind ugali, sadza, pap, banku and kenkey. Grilled on the cob it is the simplest thing done with it. The technique here differs from the street version in one respect worth knowing. Roadside corn across Africa is grilled directly over coals, husk removed, so the kernels char and blister, and it is usually sold with a piece of raw coconut alongside. This recipe keeps the husk on, butters underneath it and pulls it back up, which steams the corn as much as it grills it and gives a softer, more evenly cooked result with no char. Both are good; they are different things. Dry husks are soaked briefly first so they do not burn through.