Corn: Buying, Storing and Using

Called maize in most of the English-speaking world, common corn (Zea mays) is a New World crop. It is the only major grain that is used both as a starch and as a vegetable. The earliest signs of corn cultivation appear around 3,500 B.C. in central Mexico. From there its use spread into South and North America. With the European conquest of the Americas, the crop was distributed around the world.

Varieties of Corn

Corn has been thoroughly domesticated. Its original form, a species of the group of wild grasses called teosintes, is currently threatened in the wild. The food crop is categorized either by color — yellow, white, blue, Indian (multi-colored) — or by sugar content. Recent hybridization has produced super-sweet varieties.

Corn Seasonality

Corn comes into season starting in early to mid-summer and continues into early fall.

Buying, Storing and Preparing Corn

Corn should be eaten as soon as possible after it is harvested. Once picked, sugar in the kernels begins to turn to starch, and the corn loses its sweetness.

Corn on the cob can be boiled, steamed, grilled, roasted or cut into pieces and stewed. Kernels off the cob can be roasted, fried with butter, mixed with tomatoes or beans, stirred into cornmeal batters, used in relishes or added to soups and stews.

When cutting fresh kernels off the cob, make sure to scrape the cob with a knife to extract as much of the sweet, milky juice as you can.

Corn’s Uses around the World

Fresh corn, picked when still immature, is a favorite summer vegetable in the Americas and in parts of Africa. Baby corn is a common ingredient in stir fries.

Ground dried corn, treated with lye, forms the base for the tortillas and tamales of Mexico and much of Mesoamerica. Cornmeal is used for polenta in Italy, mamaliga in Romania, ugali in Kenya, and for American cornbread.

Huitlacoche, or Mexican truffle, is a fungus that attacks corn. It is considered a delicacy in Mexico and is used in quesadillas and soups.

Corn Recipes

Tamales de Elote 
(Central American fresh corncakes)

Tamales de Elote 
(Central American fresh corncakes)

Tamales de elote are a favorite breakfast food in Mexico and throughout Central America. In El Salvador and Guatemala they are

Githeri 
(Kenyan corn and beans)

Githeri 
(Kenyan corn and beans)

Githeri is a simple yet nourishing Kenyan dish that originated with Kikuyu tribe. The combination of beans and corn supplies

Gai Pad Yod Khao Pod 
(Thai chicken with baby corn)

Gai Pad Yod Khao Pod 
(Thai chicken with baby corn)

Gai pad yod khao pod, also known as baby corn chicken, is a simple and quick Thai stir fry. The

Creamed Corn 
(American corn kernels simmered with cream)

Creamed Corn 
(American corn kernels simmered with cream)

Cream-style corn is an old-fashioned Midwestern American dish that deserves to be rediscovered.

Clambake 
(American, New England seafood and vegetable beach barbecue)

Clambake 
(American, New England seafood and vegetable beach barbecue)

For a clambake on the beach, fresh seafood, potatoes and vegetables are steamed in a seaweed-lined firepit.

Cancha 
(Ecuadorian, Peruvian toasted corn snack)

Cancha 
(Ecuadorian, Peruvian toasted corn snack)

Cancha, a popular snack in Peru and Ecuador, is made with a special type of large-kerneled corn called maíz chulpe

Calabacitas y Elotes con Crema 
(Mexican zucchini and corn simmered in cream)

Calabacitas y Elotes con Crema 
(Mexican zucchini and corn simmered in cream)

Two New World vegetables pair up beautifully in this simple yet luxurious side dish. Calabacitas is the word for young

Cachapas 
(Venezuelan fresh corn pancakes)

Cachapas 
(Venezuelan fresh corn pancakes)

Cachapas are rib-sticking pancakes made with fresh corn. They are sold as road-side snacks in Venezuela, wrapped around cheese and

Irio 
(Kenyan mashed peas, potatoes and corn)

Irio 
(Kenyan mashed peas, potatoes and corn)

Irio is a hearty and nutritious accompaniment to Kenyan meals. It has many variations, but potatoes and peas are the

Elotes Asados 
(Mexican roast corn on the cob)

Elotes Asados 
(Mexican roast corn on the cob)

Roast corn on the cob is a favorite street food in Mexico, slathered with a cheesy, lime-scented sour cream sauce.

Olla de Carne 
(Costa Rican beef and vegetable stew)

Olla de Carne 
(Costa Rican beef and vegetable stew)

As a dish of beef and vegetables with broth, olla de carne is likely based on a similar meal from

Atol de Elote 
(Central American corn beverage)

Atol de Elote 
(Central American corn beverage)

Atoles are very popular beverages in Central America with roots in Mayan cuisine. Atol de elote is based on fresh

Porotos Granados 
(Chilean pumpkin and cranberry bean stew)

Porotos Granados 
(Chilean pumpkin and cranberry bean stew)

The origins of Chile’s porotos granados reach back into pre-Hispanic times. The basic ingredients — pumpkin, beans, corn and tomatoes

Popcorn Balls 
(American caramel-coated popcorn treat)

Popcorn Balls 
(American caramel-coated popcorn treat)

Generations of Americans have fond memories of Grandma’s old-fashioned popcorn balls — little spheres of sweet perfection, made by hand

Pastel de Choclo 
(Chilean ground beef casserole with corn batter topping)

Pastel de Choclo 
(Chilean ground beef casserole with corn batter topping)

Pastel de choclo is popular in one form or another throughout South America. It is especially popular in Chile, where

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