Every once in a while a true plant phenomenon comes along, and Corn Mirai™ is just such a miracle. This amazing Corn is so sweet and tender that it has captured the Japanese market, and in the very few American locations where it was available for the first time last year, it became an instant sensation. Gourmet chefs pay premium prices to use it in their recipes, and folks drive for miles to purchase it at roadside stands.
Despite its Japanese name (which means both "taste" and "the future is coming" -- how appropriate!) and reputation, Mirai™ was developed on a small farm in Ohio. Like so many remarkable things, it was an accident -- in the process of trying to develop new, more disease-resistant varieties of Corn, they created Mirai, which was so delicious that it literally stopped them in their tracks. They knew the flavor was superior to any they'd ever sampled, but because the plant needs to be harvested by hand, none of the big American corn manufacturers were interested. So they went to Japan, where most corn is still grown on small farms and picked by hand. In no time Mirai™ had captured an astonishing 35% of the total Japanese corn market!
Corn Bicolor Mirai 301BC
Once small American farms and roadside produce operations heard of Mirai's success in Japan (where it made headlines), everyone wanted the seed. But until now, the breeders have wisely released only a small amount of seed, continuing to test and trial it. The results have been spectacular -- and those farmers' markets lucky enough to grow Mirai™ have been besieged by long lines all season long! It's not unheard of for folks to drive 100 miles or more to wait in line for Mirai™.
Corn Yellow Mirai 131Y
Just like the bicolor, Yellow Mirai™ is technically a Supersweet, but the flavor is really so unique that "supersweet" just doesn't begin to describe it. It is both crisp and succulent, with an exceptionally high sugar content and tenderness. They recommend boiling or steaming it for no more than 2 minutes to bring out the best flavor, but many of those lucky enough to have tasted it, including our own Director of Seeds Stephanie Turner, say that it's fantastic raw, too.
