At a distance, in one quiet corner of the field stood two underrated contestants Maize, golden and firm, and Pear, dark-skinned and sleek, known locally as mpokod and Ebe. They looked around at the boastful competitors and exchanged a knowing glance.

“We may not be the biggest,” Maize said with a kernel of hope in her voice.

“Nor the fanciest,” Pear added, her oily skin gleaming in the sun.

“But together… we are unforgettable.”

Their words will have to come true for them because at this point, they create alliance which make them different from others. Both were unique in their ways and the combination create the difference they needed to beat others who only see themselves for themselves.
And so, the unlikely duo formed an alliance, not of power or pride but of taste, tradition and timelessness.

To me I will say, their Secret Weapon was Simplicity & Soul
While other crops bragged about their nutrients and complicated preparation styles, Maize and Pear chose a different path the path of simplicity.

They remembered the old days dating back to the days of our ancestors when firewood crackled like distant thunder and blackened pots sat proudly over open flames.
In those days, young girls fetched water with clay pots, boys climbed pear trees barefoot and grandmothers crouched beside the fire, sweating as they blew hot air into blazing embers just to boil fresh maize and soften wild pear in hot ash. And should you grew up in the village like myself, you will be familiar with all this. I usually had charcoal mark on my face lolz.

The process was messy and fun as fingers got burnt, faces smeared with ash as well as skirts stained with soot. But when that sweet aroma of boiling corn filled the air and the hot softened pear glistened like morning dew, nobody remembered the dirt, only the joy that is coming from the rosey corn and pear.

Maize and Pear didn’t need stew or sauce but only needed each other and a mouth that knew what real flavor tasted like and such mouth was that of humans.

How They Conquered Time