# Is corn on the cob commonly eaten in any other countries? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 1, 2012, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451 "2012-04-01T06:36:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/41 "2012-04-02T10:02:09Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > You should try Cup of Corn, it cost like 50 cents. There is a kiosk on the water over by the Makan Sutra food court (also you should try the carrot cake at the Makan Sutra food court). have tried, my kid and she who must be obeyed love it I don’t like it. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/42 "2012-04-02T10:14:43Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Here in China, at work in the company canteen we’re sometimes served slices of corn on the cob. They’re usually about two to three inches long, and I can’t tell if they’ve been steamed or boiled or cooked in oil. > > Additionally I see whole corn on the cob (already shucked) in the supermarket, both fresh and frozen. Presumably someone is buying it and consuming it. If I can ever find the right gas connector for my (American) grill, I may buy some and see how good it is. > > Interestingly, it is sweet corn, like in the USA. In many other foreign countries, the corn is always the non-sweet stuff. Is sweet corn on the cob widely available in Mexico? I ask because maize is a staple crop in much of western China, both sweet and field corn are consumed, field corn in the form of corn bread and corn flour congee. This must be similar to Mexico where cornflour tortillas are a staple. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/43 "2012-04-02T10:38:37Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > also, keep in mind that most of the world doesn’t have anywhere near as much of a sweet tooth as Americans do. I’ve seen people slathering corn on the cob with mustard or salty butter (sweet butter being considered too sweet for that), or deciding that the cob could go to hell, peeling the corn off and adding tomato sauce (there’s a school of cooking here which reckons there ain’t no dish tomato sauce can’t fix). Sweet tooth? I haven’t seen anyone in America putting anything sweet on corn on the cob. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/44 "2012-04-02T10:42:18Z")
But in the US, the corn itself is sweet and using not-sweet corn would be a defect, whereas in Spain “not being sweet” is not necessarily a defect for treats. Cf. ice cream, for which the most popular variety in Spain is still lemon. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/45 "2012-04-02T11:12:01Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > But in the US, the corn itself is sweet It is? I’ve been eating corn all my life, and I would call it savory, not sweet. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/46 "2012-04-02T12:21:16Z")
It’s widely available and fairly commonly eaten in Ireland. But it’s prepared at home, it’s not usually sold by street vendors. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/47 "2012-04-02T12:36:13Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > It is? I’ve been eating corn all my life, and I would call it savory, not sweet. And you call it sweet corn ironically, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/48 "2012-04-02T12:55:32Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > It’s been commonly eaten in the UK since at least the 1960s (although I don’t recall it being sold in the 50s). Commonly eaten as a side vegetable in the home, yes (and I think some fast-food meal deals eg KFC include corn on the cob) but you don’t see it sold from stalls on the street. (Not that we’re big on street food in the UK anyway as a rule.) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/49 "2012-04-02T13:10:16Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > And you call it sweet corn ironically, of course. No, not ironically, but also not because it tastes sweet to us. In any case, “sweet corn” is more of an industry term. When we buy it and eat it, people who don’t have some kind of farming background just call it “corn.” ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/50 "2012-04-02T13:13:58Z")
Acsenray, I’ve had it, and it tasted sweet to me. Actually, that was my reaction when I first encountered it, “😕 is this corn… sweet?” “why no, it’s just sweet corn!” “that’s what I said, it’s sweet!” “oh, but it’s not sweet, it’s just called that!” “it’s not sweet _for you_” By the time Americans call something sweet, we call it clogging. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/51 "2012-04-02T13:25:00Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Acsenray, I’ve had it, and it tasted sweet to me. Actually, that was my reaction when I first encountered it, “😕 is this corn… sweet?” “why no, it’s just sweet corn!” “that’s what I said, it’s sweet!” “oh, but it’s not sweet, it’s just called that!” “it’s not sweet _for you_” > > By the time Americans call something sweet, we call it clogging. I’ve heard varieties of corn called “sweet corn” before. It does have a slightly sweeter taste than other types of corn. But I wouldn’t describe it as sweet tasting. ---
**Author:** ![svd678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@svd678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/svd678)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/52 "2012-04-02T13:41:15Z")
“Sweet corn” is different from field corn, and it is sweet - otherwise, why would they use corn syrup as sweetener? Some people, in the corn belt, eat field corn, picked young. (You can’t grow sweet corn and field corn near each other, they cross-breed.) My family never buys corn-on-the-cob in stores; the rule-of-thumb is that it needs to be cooked within 20 minutes of being picked, or the sugar begins to turn to starch. (You put the water on, then go pick the corn.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/53 "2012-04-02T14:12:05Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > I’ve heard varieties of corn called “sweet corn” before. It does have a slightly sweeter taste than other types of corn. But I wouldn’t describe it as sweet tasting. It’s sweet in the sense that “sweet peas” or carrots are sweet (actually, I’d say sweet peas are significantly sweeter than sweet corn. Carrots, probably, too.) For something eaten as a vegetable, they have a high sugar content, but they’re still far short of your usual fruits. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/54 "2012-04-02T14:19:14Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > No, not ironically, but also not because it tastes sweet to us. In any case, “sweet corn” is more of an industry term. When we buy it and eat it, people who don’t have some kind of farming background just call it “corn.” If you ever tasted field corn (silage), the difference would be dramatically shown. “Sweet” corn is much higher in sugars and much more palatable as a result. Field corn is tough and tasteless, while sweet corn is definitely sweet by comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/55 "2012-04-02T14:22:32Z")
> [@svd678](#): > > “Sweet corn” is different from field corn, and it is sweet - otherwise, why would they use corn syrup as sweetener? Corn syrup is made from the field corn (actually the common name is “dent corn”). I believe more than 90% of the corn crop in the US is dent corn. Most Americans just say “corn” and don’t use the term “sweet corn” – it sounds rather Britishy to my ears, actually, as if there were some other kind worth talking about. Agreed with previous poster that corn is “sweet” the way peas are “sweet”. When I was in Bulgaria, for approximately 2 weeks you could get young field corn boiled and buttered on the street. It was coarse and not as good as the “real thing” but when you’ve eaten no vegetables but tomatoes, cucumber, onions and cabbage for 8 weeks, it’s heaven. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/56 "2012-04-02T16:50:41Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > And the corn I’ve seen on the cob in Spain wasn’t the same as the American one, and also the idea is a recent import. > > That’s one of the problems with copying things from movies, or brought over by people who were there for a few months as a teenager: details such as which actual variety of corn should be used fall down the wayside. > > **Martin Hyde** , people here are eating corn on the cob (whichever variety is being offered) to give it a try because they’ve seen it in the movies; also, keep in mind that most of the world doesn’t have anywhere near as much of a sweet tooth as Americans do. I’ve seen people slathering corn on the cob with mustard or salty butter (sweet butter being considered too sweet for that), or deciding that the cob could go to hell, peeling the corn off and adding tomato sauce (there’s a school of cooking here which reckons there ain’t no dish tomato sauce can’t fix). American sweet corn isn’t really very sweet by itself. I mean it’s sweet compared to field corn. But it’s not as sweet as an apple, peach, pear, for example. It’s nowhere near as sweet as a soft drink or candy bar. The thing about field corn is it is literally used to feed cows here or for more industrial purposes like ethanol production, HFCS production etc. I think you can make corn meal from it too. The problem isn’t that it isn’t sweet, it’s that it is literally flavorless. It’s not like the difference between say, a radish, which isn’t sweet at all but still has flavor, and a peach, which is super sweet. It’s like the difference between a peach and a ball of clay. Field corn also has a poor texture in my experience as well. I just can’t really believe anyone would be eating straight field corn if they knew any better. For making corn-based products it’s probably fine, though. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/57 "2012-04-02T16:54:37Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Corn syrup is made from the field corn (actually the common name is “dent corn”). I believe more than 90% of the corn crop in the US is dent corn. Most Americans just say “corn” and don’t use the term “sweet corn” – it sounds rather Britishy to my ears, actually, as if there were some other kind worth talking about. > > Agreed with previous poster that corn is “sweet” the way peas are “sweet”. > > When I was in Bulgaria, for approximately 2 weeks you could get young field corn boiled and buttered on the street. It was coarse and not as good as the “real thing” but when you’ve eaten no vegetables but tomatoes, cucumber, onions and cabbage for 8 weeks, it’s heaven. Right, unless you’re eating the corn directly there is no reason I’m aware of to use sweet corn over field corn. For corn meal, HFCS, tortillas, corn chips, and any such thing the only _reason_ to use sweet corn is if you just have a lot of sweet corn on hand. My grandparents grew sweet corn and would make corn meal from it just because when you’re growing it yourself you grow far more in a season than any human family could consume, so you’ll turn it into stuff like corn meal and etc. But on business/commercial scale you just grow the field corn for everything except direct consumption. ---
**Author:** ![Animastryfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Animastryfe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Animastryfe)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/58 "2012-04-02T18:04:37Z")
> [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](#): > > Same in China. There are vendors on the street who sell it but it’s more of a novelty/fair food, like cotton candy or something. Never heard of anyone buying a bunch of corn cobs and steaming them at home for dinner or anything like that. My extended family living in and near Beijing buy corn on the cob to eat at home, but that may be because they know I like corn and thus provide it when I visit. ---
**Author:** ![cantara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@cantara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cantara)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/59 "2012-04-02T19:44:08Z")
We saw corn being roasted on the roadsides in Tanzania. It appeared to be widely consumed. I wanted to stop and buy a cob to try it, as it smelled great, but we were always on our way to dinner when I saw them. The ‘vendors’ simply had a small barrel with a fire and the corn propped up over the heat. I don’t recall the price. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451/60 "2012-04-03T01:21:58Z")
> [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](#): > > Is sweet corn on the cob widely available in Mexico? No, there’s no sweet corn that I’ve ever had in Mexico. **CBEscapee** always complains when I call his Mexican corn “field corn,” but really, that’s not meant seriously. It’s just not sweet corn like we eat in the USA (and apparently, China). For those that don’t recognize “sweet corn” as “sweet,” well, really, it’s sweet in the sense that milk is sweet, not in the sense that sugar is sweet. Try some field corn some day. You’ll know immediately how sweet sweet corn truly is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-corn-on-the-cob-commonly-eaten-in-any-other-countries/617451.md?page=4)