Little corns

Factual Questions
1

What are these “little corns” we find at salad bars and even in Chinese food sometimes? Are they a genetic invention? I never remember seeing such things until circa 1985ish(???). I’d find it hard to believe that they ARE actually little ears of undeveloped corn. I mean, would you eat the little beginnings of a peach, for example?

{I guess I can accept baby carrots, but I wouldn’t expect them to have much flavor so young.} Any horticulture experts?

2

Hi Jinx! (I just wanted to say that.)
I think I read somewhere (possibly on TSD) that baby corn is actually… baby corn!

3

http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000067.html

This link is for a Mailbag Answers Forum thread from last year, which putatively discussed an answer by SDSAB member Melis that referenced the issue of baby corn. I can’t get the archives to divulge the mailbag article in question, however. Further, despite the fact I can’t get the MB search function to show it, I swear we discussed this in a thread recently on GQ, concluding that baby corn is just that, small corn.

4

Baby corn varieties and planting data.
Baby corn and more than you’ll ever want to know.

5

Thanks to all! It just didn’t seem to be true. (How tall are the cornstalks?)