Wendy Juarez from Prime Corn
Wendy Juarez from Prime Corn - Wendy Juarez pays homage to the colorful, Pre-Columbian diet of her ancestors through her creations of “Pre-Hispanic Vegetarian Food” at Prime Corn.
Photo:

Prime Corn: Craft Lake City Craft Food

By
August 3, 2022

Food: Interviews & Features

With the largest number of vendors to date, The 14th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival Presented By Harmons returns to the Utah State Fairpark with an exciting variety of homegrown DIY-ers. In the following pages, we’ve highlighted some craft foodies, inventors, performers, vintage curators and members of the next generation of artisans that will be participating in this year’s bustling event. Check out craftlakecity.com for more information about The 14th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival.

“I grew up eating corn [prepared] in every possible way—actually, my people are called ‘Children of the Corn’,” Wendy Juarez of Prime Corn says.
Photo: John Barkiple

Guided by the slogan “Pre-Hispanic Vegetarian Food,” Wendy Juarez pays homage to the colorful, Pre-Columbian diet of her ancestors through her creations at Prime Corn. Prior to the Spanish colonization of what is now Mexico, animal agriculture was nearly nonexistent. Generations of Indigenous descendants have passed down knowledge of the land and its healing herbs and superfoods. Juarez considers herself lucky to have been taught nutritious and flavorful plant-based diets by her mother and grandmother. “I grew up eating corn [prepared] in every possible way—actually, my people are called ‘Children of the Corn’,” she says.

Based out of Square Kitchen, Juarez’s cooking process is one of rich tradition. She makes her corn tortillas by hand and offers dishes such as tamales, quesadillas, tacos and empanadas. Juarez uses the process of nixtamalization, a word derived from the Aztec language that describes the traditional preparation process she uses for the corn she incorporates into her delectable desserts. “The corn is the base of our diet; we domesticated it, and we developed techniques to get the best of it,” she says.

Juarez is keen on educating people who visit Prime Corn’s website or social media pages with anecdotes about Aztec mythology and nutrition facts on various food items she uses in her dishes. More information can be found on her Instagram, Facebook and TikTok pages @primecornfood and on her website,  primecornfood.com.

Read more on past Craft Lake City Craft Food vendors here:
Aziza SLC: Craft Lake City Craft Food
Sheer Ambrosia: The Art of Baklava with Rita Magalde