Imaginary corn is an imaginary grain plant that is locally grown in Night Vale. The imaginary food is chiefly produced by Night Vale resident John Peters - you know, the farmer? - and is said to be one of Night Vale's most successful exports.[1]
Properties and uses
Imaginary corn is an incredibly durable and versatile crop - even more so than regular corn - and so is uniquely suited to the harsh desert environment of Night Vale. An imaginary corn crop doesn't seem to require anything from its environment in order to be successful, although Larry Leroy out on the edge of town has suggested that sunlight is conducive to a bountiful yield.[2]
Imaginary corn is primarily used as a sweet, low-carcinogenic, and admittedly hard-to-locate food, and it seems to be prepared in much the same way as regular corn. Night Vale Community Radio host Cecil Palmer prefers to "butter up a piece of bread and then rub the imaginary corn along it, and then sprinkle it with a little bit of salt and cayenne."[1] Local Night Vale cereal manufacturer Flaky-Os uses imaginary corn to produce Imaginary Corn Flakes, which is composed of "crisp, flavor-packed" imaginary corn flakes that are intended to be served, like regular corn flakes, in a bowl of milk.[3]
Economy
The profits of Night Vale's imaginary corn sales are said to be entirely provided by a $500,000 annual farm subsidy paid to John Peters, although somewhat paradoxically, people are also said to flock to Night Vale from as far away as Desert Bluffs to purchase the imaginary food, possibly suggesting that customers are allowed to purchase imaginary corn using imaginary money.[1] Imaginary corn has been sold through the Night Vale Green Market Co-op since the co-op began selling fruits and vegetables in 2012.[4] The financial success of the make-believe crop has not gone unnoticed by the outside world, and it is rumored that mayoral candidate Hiram McDaniels has been secretly exchanging emails with outside corn lobbyists looking to profit from Night Vale's imaginary corn market.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 11 - Wheat & Wheat By-Products at [1]
- ↑ 32 - Yellow Helicopters at [2]
- ↑ 35 - Lazy Day at [3]
- ↑ 15 - Street Cleaning Day at [4]
- ↑ 31 - A Blinking Light Up on the Mountain at [5]