THE SACRED PURPLE CORN OF THE ANDES

Purple corn grows only in the High Mountains of Peru and along its coastlines. Being there on mountains tops suffering the burning heat of the sun's UV rays, and along the coasts where strong winds and salty breeze are predominant, the purple corn have fought to survive for generations, by producing more antioxidants, transforming itsellf into a powerful corn, deep purple in color (thus its rich antioxidants), and all thanks to the Creator God.
The purple color is due to, first, the rich anthocyanin count in the plant that is responsible for the deep color and second, the location from where the plant grows. There is nothing like its anthocyanin count in the world.  Anthocyanins are molecules that have the ability to improve everything from cardiovascular health to collagen regeneration. You may have purple corn growing in your locality but it does not have the 16.4 mg per gram count that the mountain and coastline corns from Peru have.
There is nothing like its rich fruity flavor which is like a mix of sweet grapes, peaches, kiwi, and prune juice. For thousand of years, the people of the Andes have prepared the beverage on daily basis. It is a nutritive powerhouse due to its extremely high antioxidant content.
The kernels of the purple corn have to be separated from the cob and the cob has to be cut in pieces. Then they are soaked in hot water and boiled with chunks of quince, pineapple peel, cinnamon, and cloves. After 2 hours of boiling in very slow heat the whole mixture is left to cool overnight with the lid on and then refrigerated for a day or couple of days to yield a deep purple color and flavor. Then the mixture is passed through a powerful strainer and the beverage is mixed with lime juice and honey.
The ancient people of the Andes had the maize as a primary component in their diet. especially in the Northern region, an area of remarkable cultural fluorescence in the 3rd millennium BC. Microscopic evidence found in soil and on stone tools proved that corn was indeed a primary component in their diet. It also shows quite clearly that the very earliest emergence of civilization in the Andes was indeed based on agriculture.
Then their knowledge were deeper and deeper and the level of agriculture that they reached during the time of the Incas was unique and surpassed by far the level found in the outside World. It is shown in the ancient city of Machu Picchu, that sits in a Valley between two peaks in the Andes. The European invaders failed to find this intricately engineered "lost city" of the Incas. It wasn't discovered until 1911 when an Andean guide brought a Yale professor up the mountains to see this amazing achievement, with over 700 agricultural terraces fed by an extensive irrigation system -all created without iron, steel or wheels!