Fun Facts About Sweet Corn

• Sweet Corn's dual nature: While often considered a vegetable, sweet corn is technically a grain and a fruit, specifically a type of fruit called a caryopsis, according to Wikipedia. 

• Worldwide cultivation: Corn is grown on every continent except Antarctica. 

• The sugar rush: The sweetness of sweet corn comes from its high sugar content, which converts to starch rapidly after harvest. This is why it's best eaten fresh. 

• Kernel arrangement: A characteristic feature of sweet corn is that the kernels are always arranged in an even number of rows on the cob. 

• Historical uses: Native Americans used sweet corn leaves as a type of chewing gum. 

• Tallest sweet corn: The tallest sweet corn plant ever recorded reached a height of 35 feet and 3 inches,

• Nutritional value: Sweet corn is a good source of vitamins A and C, thiamine, potassium, and fiber. 

• Beyond the cob: While we often think of eating it on the cob, corn is used to make a variety of products, including cereal, sweetener, cooking oil, and even fuel. 

• Only a small percentage: Only about 1% of the corn grown in the United States is sweet corn. 

• Color variations: Sweet corn comes in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, and even black, blue, green, grey, purple, and red. 

  

  Tony Mcombie