Whether you enjoy eating it straight of the cob, or you prefer to cut the kernels of, sweetcorn is a delicious, colourful veg that can be added to a plethora of dishes. Sweetcorn goes by several names over the world, including corn, maize, Indian corn, and of course, the common cob. It’s also commonly referred to as an ear of corn, which doesn’t actually have anything to do with the body part; ‘ear’ comes from the ancient word ‘ahs’ which means ‘husk of corn’ – the husk is the green, protective outer layer. Corn is also one of the most widely distributed food crops in the world, as it’s used for human food, livestock feed and as biofuel. The origin of corn dates back to over 10,000 years ago in Mexico, and it was later introduced to Europe after Native Americans taught explorers, such as Christopher Columbus, how to grow it.
Nutritional breakdown