Corn is a delicacy loved by many since childhood: boiled corn with salt, sweet canned corn, and, ultimately, popcorn in the cinema. In general, it is difficult to find someone who does not like bright yellow cobs in any form. By the way, now is the time to remember the taste of childhood, because the season of corn is coming, and we will tell you how to cook it as deliciously as possible!
In most parts of the world, corn is called "maize". The sonorous and a little funny name "corn" came to us from Turkey.
All corn is yellow, cooked for a long time (well, or it just seems so), good with salt and, while young, can be an excellent dietary product. But these are not all the characteristics of the plant. In fact, corn is not as simple as it seems.
Types of corn
Toothed corn. Slightly elongated yellowish grains, resembling a horse's tooth. This type is usually used for livestock feed, processing into flour, alcohol and cereals.
Flint corn. Smooth, rounded grains, yellow or white. Mainly used for the production of cereals, corn sticks and flakes.
Starchy corn. One of the most ancient species. Smooth, dull, round, soft, mealy (who is more?) Grain. Most often reddish in color. It is used in the starch and alcohol industries.
Waxy maize. Essentially a mutant of dent corn. The grains are smooth, firm with a matte surface, as if doused with wax. This species is most common in China.
Pop corn … Divided into rice and pearl barley. When heated, this type of grains burst and swell, in fact, this is how popcorn is made.
Filmy corn. Grains of this type are covered with a film. This species has no industrial value, but there are claims that once this corn was used in religious rites of the Inca empire.
Sweet corn a. The most common are bright yellow ears with slightly wrinkled grains. However, the color of this species can be quite varied. Contains a large amount of sugar, which is why the name comes from. This is exactly the type of corn that we are used to eating.
By the way, corn is naturally colorful, and the yellow color was obtained through selection.
How to choose delicious corn
First of all, look at the appearance of the cobs. Dark yellow grains and dry fibers are a sure sign that the corn is old. This means that even after prolonged cooking, it will remain firm on the outside, boiled on the inside, and there will be no trace of any sweetness.
It is worth giving preference to young cobs with pale yellow, maybe even whitish grains and bright green leaves. These ears have slightly damp fibers. Also remember not to take peeled cobs - this will spoil the corn faster. It is worth peeling the cobs before cooking, otherwise the sugar will begin to turn into starch.
By the way, the number of rows of grains in each ear is even. You can count!
Useful properties of corn
Corn is a storehouse of vitamins. Among them are vitamin E, as well as vitamins of group B, K, PP, D, C, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, copper and nickel. Moreover, it contains useful fatty and essential oils, acids and other substances, for example, with antioxidant properties.
Corn reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, strokes, heart attacks, diabetes. Helps maintain vision and tone the gallbladder.
100 grams of corn contains 365 calories, despite this, corn is a dietary product, as it reduces appetite.
Corn oil is rich in phosphatides, which are important for brain function, and is also useful in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. It is believed that corn oil is much healthier than sunflower oil, with its use, general health improves, sleep normalizes, and blood cholesterol levels decrease.
Dangerous properties of corn
Genetically modified corn, bred to eliminate insect pests, contains poison and is dangerous to health.
Corn is contraindicated for stomach and duodenal ulcers.
It is worth refraining from eating corn for people with increased blood clotting and thrombophlebitis. Corn can cause aggravations.
This cereal reduces appetite, so it is contraindicated to use it for people suffering from underweight. So it is better not to eat corn oil for people suffering from obesity.
Fresh Corn Recipes
Everyone knows that young corn is enough just to put in cold water, bring to a boil and cook for another 15-20 minutes until tender, then sprinkle with salt - and a delicious dinner is ready. But such a "dish" can quickly get bored, so we bring to your attention a few simple recipes.
Mexican grilled corn
Ingredients:
- Corn cobs
- A couple of limes
- Fresh cilantro
- Butter
- Salt
- Pepper
Preparation:
Peel fresh corncobs and set aside. Melt a small amount of butter, mix with finely chopped cilantro, lime juice and lime zest.
Grease the corn on all sides with the resulting sauce. Put on a preheated grill and cook, turning the ears, for 15-20 minutes. If you don't have a grill, just wrap the ears in foil and cook in an oven preheated to 180 degrees.
Season with salt, pepper and serve. Sprinkle with grated cheese if desired.
Vegetable salad with corn
Ingredients:
- Corn cobs
- Potatoes - 2 pcs.
- Apple - 2 pcs.
- Green onions - 60g.
- Lettuce leaves
- Olive oil
- Lemon
- Sesame
- Parsley
- Pepper
- Salt
Preparation:
Boil potatoes and cut them into thin slices. Boil the corn and separate the grains. Peel the apples and cut into slices, similar to potatoes. Pick up lettuce leaves.
Prepare salad dressing. Chop the parsley, mix with olive oil, lemon juice and zest, sesame seeds, pepper and salt. Mix everything, pour over the dressing and serve.
According to the Indian method, corn is planted with pumpkin, which protects the soil from weeds and does not allow excess moisture to evaporate, which helps to increase yields.
Fresh corn soup
Ingredients:
- Corn cobs - 2 pcs.
- Water - 2 tbsp.
- Milk - 2 tbsp.
- Cream - 2 tbsp.
- Onion head
- Flour - 1 tbsp. l.
- Butter
- Green onions
- Salt
- Pepper
- Nutmeg
Preparation:
Boil the corn, cut off the grains and grind in a blender. Chop the onion finely and sauté over low heat with flour and butter.
Mix corn and onions, add grated nutmeg, salt and pepper. Pour in milk and cream. Boil. Garnish with finely chopped green onions when serving.
Photo: Getty Images
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