A common misconception about corn is that all of it is consumable to humans. However, sweet corn is a mutation of corn that blocks the conversion of sugars to starch. Sweet corn is picked earlier in its growth stage, before the majority of sugar is converted. Since it is technically immature when it is picked, consumers have to eat it fresh before the kernels harden. Several genetic variants, such as the sh2 variant (see below) have been created to modernize the production of sweet corn by extending its freshness before the kernels harden.

Read more about sweet corn in the Illini Supersweet page.

Corn is the most suitable form of animal feed for the Midwest. It's extremely affordable and requires very little transport. After all, it can be grown in a field right next to the animals and prepared as animal feed in a silo. Several parts of corn can be processed into animal feed: each part of the kernel, the endosperm, and the stover. This is because it will all be ground up as meal, which is high in protein, nutrients, and energy for the animals. During this grinding process, corn oil can be extracted and processed separately. Here is why corn is used for the separate animals:

Most people see cows roaming on grass and assume that they only eat grass. However, cows eat all parts of corn, including the stalks (stover), cracked kernels, and rolled kernels. Cows consume corn because it is significantly more efficient--they maintain their weight and produce milk more efficiently than only eating grass. Due to this efficiency, it is also easier to manage more cows with a smaller pasture, so using corn is practical for large-scale farming without requiring more pasture land.

Pigs eat corn for its macronutrient content. Pigs are able to reach and maintain their desired weight quickly and efficiently with the fat and protein content of corn. As a grain, it is also very rich in carbohydrates so that pigs could stay energized easily. It is also high in fiber content, aiding the digestive system of pigs. Differing from cows, pig feed typically includes several other grains for a larger vitamin content: corn, barley, oats, and wheat are typically included in pig feed.

Chickens also take advantage of the high carbohydrate content of corn to provide them with energy. The high protein content makes sure that they have amino acids for the growth of muscle tissue. However, an important part of chicken feed is the fat content, so corn is typically combined with fish meal and other meats to contribute vitamins and minerals to their overall growth.

Both of these products are made from dent corn, a type of corn that is very easy to mill because of its soft starch content. First, cornmeal is dried and ground corn, which ranges in texture from coarse to fine. It also ranges in color between yellow and white through the use of dent corn. Cornmeal has a very long shelf life due to its degermination, where the germ and bran are removed. However, the degermination process does not apply to stone-ground cornmeal. Corn flour is a very highly processed version of cornmeal. Because of this, it is super fine but very thick when mixed with water, making it an excellent food additive and thickener!

Here are some foods made with cornmeal:

Polenta is an Italian dish made from cornmeal, usually made from flint corn or dent corn. It uses coarse cornmeal which is boiled, cooled, and solidified.

Grits are a Southern American dish made from very coarse dent cornmeal, similar to other porridges. It is a staple in breakfast, similar to oatmeal. Instant grits only require boiling, but regular grits can be boiled in a water and milk mix, then mixed with butter. It is significantly thicker than polenta.

Corn oil, like many other vegetable oils, is used in cooking. It is particularly used in cooking due to its high smoke point. More information on the Application main page.

Corn oil is fairly healthy in the world of vegetable oils. Oils like coconut oil have high levels of SFAs, or saturated fatty acids. SFAs have been shown to raise LDL cholesterol levels in humans--a chemical that has negative cardiovascular effects. On the other hand, PUFAs, or polyunsaturated fatty acids, tend to lower LDL cholesterol levels. Corn oil is significantly higher in PUFAs, making corn oil healthier than those such as coconut oil or palm oil. The only oils higher in PUFA content are sunflower, walnut, wheat germ, and safflower. In general, it has found to be more healthy to replace SFAs with PUFAs instead of cutting out SFAs, so replace the peanut oil with corn oil!

Corn Syrup and High Fructose Corn Syrup are common baking ingredients, typically used as sweeteners in items such as pancake syrup, desserts, candies, baked goods, and sodas. The difference between corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup is the conversion of glucose to fructose. Corn syrup is typically entirely made up of glucose, but high fructose corn syrup is made up of 40-70% fructose.

Corn Syrup is everywhere. Because of its high sugar content, it is found in hundreds of sweet foods like BBQ sauce, candies, fudge, doughnuts, baked goods, and pancake syrup. Corn syrup is particularly used due its longer shelf life, higher "sweetness", and low cost. Corn syrup is also used since it does not crystalize like table sugar can. High fructose corn syrup is particularly used in pancake syrup, candies, and other confectionaries. 

Hominy can only be described as chewy, puffy corn kernels. They are made from soaking in a lime solution, which the hull of the kernel will dissolve in. The hominy is then dried and can be cooked. 

Hominy is an excellent example of how maize has shaped Mexican culture: it can make grits, masa flour, and tortillas, bust most inportantly Pozole. Pozole is a traditional Mexican stew that has pork, hominy, beans, and other vegetables in a broth. This stew originated in Aztec culture thousands of years ago, and is a festive dish. The Aztecs viewed corn as a sacred plant, and the continued consumption of Pozole reflects this sentiment for Mexican culture.

Popcorn is unlike any other corn mentioned above. Unlike sweet, dent, and flint corn, popcorn is truly the only corn hybrid that can pop. Within each kernel is a droplet of water, sandwiched between the hull and the starch. As heat builds up in popcorn, the water converts to steam and creates pressure. With enough pressure, the kernel will pop!

Popcorn is usually prepared in microwaves and stove tops. First appearing in 1848, popcorn became very popular through the late 1800s and early 1900s. Within the Great Depression, the popcorn business became a lucrative business for struggling farmers, selling for about 5 to 10 cents a bag. This includes farmers like Orville Redenbacher, which launched as a company in 1970. Popcorn continues to represent the American cinema and serves as the state snack food of Illinois.