 About 90 percent of domestic corn is fed to live stock. The rest is used for human consumption and in the production of paper, textiles, paints, explosives, and plastics. The United States, primarily in the cornbelt, produces nearly 50 percent of the world’s corn.
Health Benefits: Corn is the only grain that contains Vitamin A. Yellow corn is higher in vitamin A than white corn. Corn, relative to other cereal grains, is refreshing and an ideal hot weather grain. As with many other foods, you may assume that the darker and richer the color of a corn kernel, the more flavor it has.
 Sweet corn, which is a good source of vitamin A, manganese and potassium, is often considered to be a vegetable, rather than a grain. This confusion is probably due to the fact that it is eaten fresh like a vegetable.
 Yellow sweet corn is a good source of lutein which is good for healthy vision and a healthy cardiovascular system. Corn also adds folate to our diets.
The nutrition information for white sweet corn is very similar to yellow sweet corn, however white sweet corn has much less lutein and vitamin A.
 Bi-color corn has 80% yellow kernels speckled with 20% white kernels. Good quality corn has full, evenly formed and filled ears with straight rows of kernels.
The husks will be fresh-looking and bright green, and the silk ends free of decay or worm damage. Be sure the coloring of the kernels is bright and shiny. Pull back the husk and poke one of the kernels at the tip of the silk end with a finger-nail. If juice squirts out and is only slightly cloudy, it's fresh. If the juice is thick or non-existent, the corn is old.
from Rebecca Wood's The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia |
