Blue Cornmeal Pancakes With Blueberry Butter

I wish I could say that I always knew about blue corn, as it’s indigenous to the Southwest and was an option in virtually every New Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque, but here’s the truth: Disney’s Pocahontas first exposed me to it. I had never “heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon,” but my interest was piqued! Blue corn? What, where, when, why, and how? I learned that blue corn can be traced back to the Pueblo Native American Indian tribes in New Mexico, and with its slightly sweet flavor and dusty blue hue it is one of the region’s most beautiful and cherished ingredients. The next time I noticed it on a menu, I went for it. It felt fancy and it was referenced in an Oscar-winning song. There is a whole scientific explanation as to why blue corn is blue, but I seem to have used up all my space talking about my love for Pocahontas. Just know that these crunchy pancakes are a tribute to that unique taste from my childhood—and to Judy Kuhn*. ~Jesse