There are more than 200 varieties of sweet corn and you get the best flavor when it is eaten within a day of picking. When corn is picked, its natural sugars immediately begin to turn to starch, so swiftness in cooking is key. Mark Twain recommended putting a kettle of water in the middle of a cornfield, building a fire under it, and shucking the ears of corn directly into the boiling water. Slathered with butter and sprinkled with salt, it would be pretty hard to beat.

The beauty of corn is that it is both a grain and a vegetable. It can be eaten at every stage of its growing season, from when the ear is a few tender inches long to when the kernels are old and dry.

History

Corn may well be the most famous of all the New World vegetables, and many of us would be surprised to learn that the history of corn stretches back some 7,000 years. Probably descended from a wild grass in what is now southern Mexico, its exact botanical ancestry is uncertain. Cultivated by Native Americans for thousands of years before the first Europeans sailed west, corn was introduced to the newcomers by local tribes. From the American Indians, the settlers learned to make corn into hominy and then ate it like a cereal. They ground it into meal and then even finer into flour. They made puddings and breads from it as well soups, stews and mushes. In fact corn was a basic all-purpose crop. Not only did it feed the colonists but it nourished their animals, filled their mattresses, insulated their cabins and warmed their hearths.

Today corn figures prominently in the hearts of cooks and diners throughout the world, having been incorporated into the cuisines of the East, West, North and South. But Mexico still heads the list in both the number and inventiveness of its corn dishes. The corn tortilla is an integral part of the culture and there are wonderful tamales available in the most surprising places. Perhaps the pinnacle of the Mexican corn experience is huitlacoche, the prized corn fungus, also known as corn smut, which looks evil but tastes divine and is sometimes compared to truffles. When picked fresh and cooked properly, it is delicious wrapped in a warm tortilla or scrambled with eggs.

Circling the globe, we find cornmeal dumplings and crepes in parts of France, corn and shrimp soup in Thailand, fresh corn breads in India, fried corn bread in Portugal, mamaliga in Romania and polenta in Italy. In the United States regional corn cooking ranges from the scalloped corn and Indian puddings of the Northeast to the corn cakes and hominy grits of the South, to the blue corn and posole of the Southwest.

Sweet Corn

The most familiar class of corn, sweet corn, is the kind that comes to the market for corn on the cob and for other fresh uses. Cooked fresh, the tender kernels contain a far greater proportion of sugar to starch than any other corn. Sweet corn comes in yellow, white, bicolored and multicolored ears. It is harvested green-that is, before the kernels mature.

Hybrid Sweet Corn

A cross of two genetically different strains, modern hybrid corn varieties have been bred to produce a superior and sweeter product with an improved shelf life. The newest hybrids are known as SuperSweet, or SH2 hybrids, and Sugary Enhanced, or SE (or EH) hybrids.

Not only are they many times sweeter than previous varieties, they are crisper and they measure their loss of sweetness in days and weeks, instead of minutes and hours. They have such names as How Sweet It Is, Candy Store and Kandy Korn and they appear to be displacing many of the previous Normal Sugary hybrids. This is not necessarily a blessing, for although they are extremely sweet, they strike many corn lovers as having insufficient corn flavor.

The earlier generations of hybrids known as Normal Sugary or SU Hybrids have a good, traditional corn flavor but must be eaten soon after picking. Varieties that still turn up in markets include the white Silver Queen, the bicolored Peaches and Cream, and the yellow Early Sunglow, to name a few. Home gardeners often choose to grow an unhybridized, old-fashioned sweet corn variety called Golden Bantam, which is still considered a benchmark of corn flavor years after being introduced. Some think it has a better flavor than hybrid corn.

Miniature (or Baby) Corn

These tiny ears are often sold canned and used in Chinese restaurants. Although most miniature corn is harvested from sweet corn, if you are growing corn, any variety can be harvested as baby corn. Simply pick it five days after the silk appears. Peel carefully to reveal a tiny but perfectly formed ear about three inches long. The whole ear is edible.

Dent Corn (or Field Corn)

So called because of the small indentation in the top of the kernel when dry, dent corn is mostly yellow or white. The ears are short, thick and heavy, and dent corn lacks the flavor of sweet corn, but it can be eaten fresh when immature. Used mainly for livestock feed, it is the most widely cultivated corn in the United States. It is also used for cornmeal, oil and for a variety of industrial products, including plastic bags and laundry starch, but is best used for roasting, grinding, grits and cornmeal. Hickory King is an old-fashioned variety of dent corn.

Flint Corn (or Indian Corn)

Although quite edible, flint corn is usually grown for decorative purposes. It has hard kernels that range in color from white to red and is best ground into cornmeal. It is cultivated throughout the United States, especially in the Midwest. It can be eaten fresh in the "milk" stage. Allowed to dry, the kernels turn colors and can be ground into meal.

Flour Corn

Cultivated in the southwestern United States, this corn is made up of primarily soft starches. It is most commonly ground to make into flour and cornmeal. It ranges in color from white to blue-gray, to red and purple. Traditional southwestern strains include Hopi Blue, Navajo Blue and Cochiti Blue. They are used for blue corn flour and cornmeal, and for making blue corn tortillas.

Popcorn

Any kind of corn kernel will pop slightly when heated, but only a popcorn type will explode and turn itself inside out to make a little, white ball. Cultivated throughout the United States, popcorn has small, hard kernels with a softer starch inside. When heated, the moisture in the soft starch begins to expand and steam, and pressure builds up, causing the unyielding hard starch on the exterior to explode, leaving behind a puff of starch and protein.

Dried Corn Products

Cornmeal

Although it can be made from any variety of dried corn, cornmeal is usually ground from yellow or white field or dent corn (see above). In the United States it is commonly used for corn bread, pancakes and mush. Italian polenta is usually made from a yellow cornmeal that comes either coarsely or finely ground. When purchasing cornmeal, look for stone-ground, natural products. They will have more corn flavor than the degerminated cornmeal available in supermarkets.

Hominy

Known in Spanish as posole, this dried, hulled field corn is common throughout Mexico and the American Southwest. Early Native Americans discovered that soaking dried corn in water with wood ashes helped remove the outer hulls from the kernels. Today a mild slaked-lime solution accomplishes the same task. Hominy was once a staple pantry item in most American homes, but now is considered old-fashioned. It is still found in southern states, but most popular are hominy grits, which are made from dried, ground hominy meal and cooked into a kind of porridge.

Masa Harina

Used for tortillas and tamales, this flour is made from finely ground, lime-treated corn. Most supermarkets carry Quaker brand instant masa harina, but you can buy a superior ready-made masa (dough) in Mexican grocery stores.

Choosing Fresh Corn

No matter what the variety, it is still safe to say that the fresher the corn, the better. If you don't have a corn patch of your own, buy locally grown corn straight from the farmer-at a produce stand on the side of the road or at a farmer's market. At the market, look closely at the ears. The ones picked most recently will have fresh-looking cuts at their stems and will still look-and feel-moist, plump, green and vibrant. The brown silk peeping out at the top will look a little sticky. Kernels should look shiny and healthy.

If you cannot serve it immediately, corn should be stored in the refrigerator, unhusked and wrapped in a damp towel.

Cooking Fresh Corn

The best way to eat fresh corn is not to cook it at all but to eat it raw. The freshest and sweetest is best eaten raw in salads, stirred at the last minute into cooked rice or added to an already prepared salsa. Corn should be shucked at the last minute and any wispy corn silk pulled away from the bare ears. If it is to be boiled and served on the cob, it will be ready in no more than about two minutes in rapidly boiling water. Do not salt the water; salt toughens the kernels during cooking. Bring a big kettle of water to a boil, add the corn, return to the boil, remove the ears and enjoy. If a recipe calls for fresh corn kernels, shuck the corn and cut off the stem end; holding the ear by its tip and resting it firmly on the cutting board on its base, slice the kernels off the cob with a sharp knife.

Corn Facts

The average ear of corn has 800 kernels, arranged in 16 rows. Corn is a good source of energy-sustaining complex carbohydrate and is very low in fat. Yellow corn strains contain high amounts of vitamin A (carotene); white corn has none. Both strains are rich in vitamins B and C and potassium. Small amounts of iron and other minerals are also present. Blue corn has about 50 percent more iron, higher concentrations of several other minerals and 20 percent more protein than yellow or white strains, which makes it softer and less starchy. Depending on the size of the ears, one ear will yield 1/3 to 1/2C corn cut from the cob and contains about 70 calories.

Dried Corn

To dry whole ears of corn, allow ears to remain on the stalks until the husks are browned and the kernels are hard, then pull them off the stalks. Strip the husks back but leave them attached. Tie the husks together with string and hang the ears in a warm, dry place until completely dried.

Grilled Corn on the Cob With Cajun Butter

6 ears fresh corn

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp. Cajun seasonings

salt

Choose ears with ends intact. Pull the husks back but leave attached at the base and remove the silks. Replace husks, smoothing them with your hands and tie together at narrow end with a strip of torn husk; soak for about 1 hour in water to cover. Remove the ears from the water and pat dry with paper towel. Grill over a moderate fire for 7-8 minutes, turning often. Before serving, check one to make sure it is done. Meanwhile, place Cajun seasonings in a small pan and add 1 Tbsp. of the butter and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the remaining butter and melt slowly. Remove from the heat until ready to serve.

When corn is almost done, peel back the husks and cool the corn directly on the grill for a few minutes more to brown the kernels. Brush the corn with the Cajun butter and serve with salt.

MAKES: 6 servings

Roasted Corn Guacamole

2 ears corn, kernels removed with a knife

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. Cajun seasonings

4 ripe avocados

1 plum tomato, seeded and diced

1 Tbsp. Anaheim chili, minced

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

1/4C diced onion

3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

blue corn tortilla chips

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the corn together with the olive oil and Cajun seasonings and spread out on a cookie sheet. Roast until slightly brown-about 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, mash the avocados together with the remaining ingredients. Stir in the roasted corn and serve with tortilla chips.

MAKES: 3C

Additional Resources

For more in-depth information on the origin of corn and all the different types click on:

http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRes/Topic/AgrEnv/ndd/agronomy/

ORIGIN,_ADAPTATION,_AND_TYPES_OF_CORN.html

When you thicken a sauce with cornstarch do you ever wonder just what cornstarch is?

http://www.epicurious.com/db/dictionary/terms/c/cornstar.html

Did you know that our native peoples once considered corn, squash and beans to be the "Three Sisters"-sisters who should never be apart-sisters who should be planted together? A treasure trove of other interesting corn facts can be accessed at:

http://www.ontariocorn.org/history.html

Tarla Fallgatter is a well-known Orange County caterer, chef, teacher, restaurant consultant and kitchen tool manufacturer. She trained at Paris' Cordon Bleu, La Varenne, and Ecole Lenotre cooking schools, and was the first foreign woman to cook in the kitchens of Maxim's. She has traveled to over 60 countries throughout the world, "sampling" the local cuisine. She markets her "Tarla" all-copper rolling pin in fine cookware shops.