One of the most popular vegetables in the USA...

 

 

Sweet corn

 also called sugar corn or pole corn

 

 

 

It is a variety of maize with a high sugar content. Unlike other varieties of corn, sweet corn is picked when immature (milk stage) and prepared and eaten as a vegetable, rather than a grain. The husk and silk are removed by hand, before boiling but not necessarily before roasting, in a process called husking or shucking.

In the United States, sweet corn is eaten as a steamed vegetable, or on the cob, usually served with butter and salt. It can be found in Tex-Mex cooking in chili, tacos, and salads. When corn is mixed with Lima beans it is called Succotash. It can be used fresh, canned and frozen. If left to dry on the plant, kernels may be taken off the cob and cooked in oil where, unlike popcorn, they expand to about double the original kernel size and are often called corn nuts.

 

Sweetcorn can be used in many ways in order to prepare different dishes, for example:

Sweet corn soup - The basic recipe is some type of soup base with corn added followed by whatever ingredients give it its distinct style. Typically ingredients are corn cut from the cob, water, butter, some flour, an egg, with salt and pepper for seasoning — this varies by region.

Cornbread - quick bread containing cornmeal. They are usually leavened by baking powder.

Creamed corn - is a type of creamed food made by pulping corn kernels and collecting the milky residue from the corn. It is an almost soupy version of sweetcorn, but unlike other preparations of sweetcorn, creamed corn is partially puréed, releasing the liquid contents of the kernels. Sugar and starch may be added and in home-made version, some variety of milk, perhaps even cream. In store-bought canned preparations adding milk is less common.

And many more... 

Corn flakes

 

Popcorn

 

Corn flour

Sweet corn is not only tasty but also healthy - cooking sweet corn increases levels of ferulic acid, which has anti-cancer properties.

 

Find out what are the origins of planting sweet corn.

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