# How do YOU eat corn-on-the-cob?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [September 6, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082 "2009-09-06T20:00:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/1 "2009-09-06T20:00:32Z")
My co-worker’s MIL was relating something outrageous to her the other day. Apparently she had eaten dinner with a friend, and corn-on-the-cob was served, and she was stunned at how the friend ate her corn…like a typewriter, she said, from side to side! Mom had never ever seen anyone eat it like that in her life! In their family, they eat their corn in sort of a spiral…round and round the ear, turning it constantly, slowly moving down the cob.
Which I have, never in my life, seen anyone eat corn like that.
I’m a typewriter person, myself…butter a strip of kernels from end to end, salt it, nibble two or three rows at time across the length, lather, rinse, repeat. I’ve never seen the spiral method, never having eaten corn with my coworker’s mother-in-law’s family, but I’m not as stunned as she seemed that there are other methods. Our boss butters her whole ear at once, rolling it in a dish of butter, then eats typewriter style.
So of course, I wondered how the denisons of The Dope eat their corn…what other methods are there out there? Are you a typewriter or a spiraler? Do I have to explain the typewriter style to the younger folks who may never have seen a typewriter in person? Do you butter all at once, or in sections so it doesn’t drip off?
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### Author:  [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/2 "2009-09-06T20:09:25Z")
no butter or salt, as fresh as possible and typewriter style.
I have been known to strip off the husks as I stand in the field picking the corn and eating it uncooked.
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### Author:  [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/3 "2009-09-06T20:10:43Z")
I guess I’m a combo! I’ll go all the way across sometimes. Sometimes I only go halfway across, then set it down to eat something else. When I pick it up, I don’t necessarily finish the row. I don’t really spiral, though.
What a fun and weird topic! 😉
ETA: butter and salt go in the pot after draining, so all ears get coated. (I usually cut them in half.)
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/4 "2009-09-06T20:12:06Z")
Typewriter, light butter all at once, lots of salt and pepper.
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### Author:  [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/5 "2009-09-06T20:12:56Z")
> [@aruvqan](#):
>
> no butter or salt, as fresh as possible and typewriter style.
I just KNEW a “no butter, no salt” person would be in to say that! I just didn’t think it would be that quick! My mother would love you…
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### Author:  [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/6 "2009-09-06T20:15:45Z")
depends on how hot it is and if you have ‘corn holders’ (prongs you insert to hold hot corn ear).
if it is real hot i might eat a circumference on each end to give a cooler holding spot, the cob not holding the heat as the moist kernels. then i typewriter it.
if the corn tastes good i will eat it naked. but if i butter i do the whole ear. there are also corn dishes where you can put some butter down the length and roll the ear, good if you are having a pile of ears.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/7 "2009-09-06T20:22:53Z")
I butter all at once and just accept that some will drip off, so I don’t have to stick an ear I’ve eaten off of back in a communal butter dish. And I eat typewriter-style, never seen any other way. Though now that you mention it, the constant rotation in the spiral style might help keep down the dripping.
> [@](#):
>
> depends on how hot it is and if you have ‘corn holders’ (prongs you insert to hold hot corn ear).
>
> if it is real hot i might eat a circumference on each end to give a cooler holding spot, the cob not holding the heat as the moist kernels. then i typewriter it.
I just had some the other day and there weren’t any corn holders, so I used the small blade on my pocketknife instead.
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### Author:  [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/8 "2009-09-06T20:23:23Z")
I’m a hunt and peck cob eater. I’ll eat in a seemingly random pattern, then return for clean-up duty.
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### Author:  [@wunderkammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wunderkammer)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/9 "2009-09-06T20:31:49Z")
I’m a slow typewriter, left to right, butter and salt, exactly four rows at a time if possible. I’ll do one or two five-row passes to avoid getting one or two lonely rows at the end.
Here’s another question: once you finish the first row, do you eat upward or downward?
I go to the next rows up so that my top incisors are doing most of the work and so that I don’t have to see the damp cob very much.
Also, how consistent is everyone about their direction of rotation and eating? I’m just wondering if it’s strange to eat my corn the exact same way every time.
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### Author:  [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/10 "2009-09-06T20:43:24Z")
Butter, salt, typewriter. If I’m in a really goofy mood I’ll even make the little DING! sound at the end of each row 😃
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### Author:  [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/11 "2009-09-06T20:46:18Z")
> [@kittenblue](#):
>
> I’m a typewriter person, myself…butter a strip of kernels from end to end, salt it, nibble two or three rows at time across the length, lather, rinse, repeat. I’ve never seen the spiral method, never having eaten corn with my coworker’s mother-in-law’s family, but I’m not as stunned as she seemed that there are other methods. Our boss butters her whole ear at once, rolling it in a dish of butter, then eats typewriter style.
Your boss does it the way my family does. Half the point of the butter is to get the salt to stick, after all.
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/12 "2009-09-06T20:46:44Z")
I tend to ‘typewriter’ it, though lately I’ve found it more expedient to slice it off the cob & onto a pat of butter, salt the pile, scarf it down, and move on to another ear.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/13 "2009-09-06T20:50:42Z")
Slice it off, hit it with salt and butter, and use a fork.
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/14 "2009-09-06T20:59:29Z")
> [@silenus](#):
>
> Slice it off, hit it with salt and butter, and use a fork.
Hey, brother! No hot sauce for it, though? For special occasions?
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/15 "2009-09-06T21:04:29Z")
> [@Rebo](#):
>
> I guess I’m a combo! I’ll go all the way across sometimes. Sometimes I only go halfway across, then set it down to eat something else. When I pick it up, I don’t necessarily finish the row. I don’t really spiral, though.
>
> What a fun and weird topic! 😉
>
> ETA: butter and salt go in the pot after draining, so all ears get coated. (I usually cut them in half.)
No pots for me. Fresh corn, take off the husk, wrap in plastic wrap and nuke for about 2 minutes. The corn is HOT and not boiled to death. Slather with butter, salt lightly, typewriter.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/16 "2009-09-06T21:05:49Z")
Sweet corn is too good to hit with Crystal. If the corn is a few days old, however, all bets are off. The wife still gnaws it off the cob(spiral), but I can strip, season and eat an ear my way just as fast.
In fact, I’ve started experimenting with a pineapple slicer. The “corer” part is just big enough to pass around a cob. One press, and gustatory delight.
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### Author:  [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/17 "2009-09-06T21:43:11Z")
I just got some lovely peaches and cream Taber corn today so this is good timing…
I slather in butter, no salt, and typewriter style.
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### Author:  [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/18 "2009-09-06T22:53:49Z")
No butter, salt, typewriter.
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### Author:  [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/19 "2009-09-06T22:57:59Z")
Dripping with butter, salt and extra pepper, typewriter-style.
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### Author:  [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-corn-on-the-cob/509082/20 "2009-09-06T23:06:59Z")
I butter the whole thing, and eat in a spiral. My wife doesn’t use butter, and eats in typewriter fashion. She leaves her cob _very_ neat, with all the kernels removed.
ETA:
> [@Dolores Reborn](#):
>
> ETA: butter and salt go in the pot after draining, so all ears get coated. (I usually cut them in half.)
Don’t invite my wife over. She’ll complain about the prebuttered corn (not to you. To me, later.)
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