What is the name of the little corn things in chinese food? Also, where does it come from?

Question

What is the name of the little corn things in chinese food? Also, where does it come from?

Answer 1

Baby Corn.  Those tiny corncobs aren't genetically mutated dwarf ears of corn -- they're just immature ears of regular corn.

Many varieties of corn can be used to produce baby corn. Seed companies offer special types of seed to grow baby corn, but all of these grow plants and corn ears that are just as big as the corncobs you might have at a summer BBQ. The secret is in the harvesting. Baby corn ears are picked by hand immediately when the silks emerge from the ear tips or a few days after. Corn matures quickly, so the harvest must be timed carefully to avoid ending up with normal corn ears. Baby corn ears are generally 4.5cm to 10cm in length and 7mm to 17mm in diameter.

Most baby corn commercially available in the U.S. is grown and processed in Asia, particularly in Thailand. Because baby corn must be picked by hand, it is too labor-intensive for most American farms. It's been an extremely important crop in Thailand since 1976, and other Asian nations have also begun producing and exporting it. Perhaps this is why baby corn is so often found in Asian recipes.

Answer 2

They are just called baby corns as far as I know. Just as with new potatoes, baby or miniature corn is not a special type of corn, it is baby corn — immature little ears of corn, new to this glorious world. It is always some variety of sweet corn, which has not been pollinated, and is harvested within four days of the silks emerging from the ear. (Sweet corn that grows to maturity is usually harvested 20 days after the silks appear).

With baby corn, the cob is eaten — and indeed, if you had to strip the kernels from the cobs, it would take about a zillion kernels and two to three year's labor to make a mouthful.

The industrial production of baby corn has long been the province of Thailand and China — and, indeed, (and we promise not to say, "— and, indeed" again in this article), baby corn has found most widespread use in Asian cooking. But Latin America has recently become another leading source for baby corn.

If you are up to growing corn yourself, you can just as easily grow baby corn. The Virginia Cooperative Extension Service says, "many varieties are suitable, but 'Candystick,' with its 1/4-inch cob diameter at maturity, is a good one to try, especially since it takes up less space in the garden. Harvesting at the right time is tricky; silks will have been produced, but ears not filled out yet. Experimentation is the best way to determine when to harvest baby corn."

If you are more into shopping than farming, you can find baby corn in cans and bottles in the ethnic aisles of well-stocked supermarkets, Asian and Latin markets, and, indeed (drat!) online packed in water, pickled, and spicy pickled.

Answer 3

OMG!!! i love those things, especially the pickled ones.

It's called "baby corn" and i buy mine at the grocery, my favorite kind comes in a jar, fresh,sorta. Usually runs about $2-3 a bottle. The ones you find in the USA are from Asia. heres a bit about them with a link for more info.

""Baby corn is a cereal grain taken from specialized corn (maize) plants harvested early, while the ears are very small and immature. Baby corn ears are hand-picked as soon as corn silks emerge from the ear tips or a few days after. Corn matures very quickly, so a baby corn harvest has to be carefully timed to avoid ending up with normal corn ears. Baby corn ears are generally about 4.5 cm to 10 cm in length and 7 mm to 17 mm in diameter. There are many varieties of specialized corn plants that can be used to produce baby corn. Baby corn is an important crop from Thailand and Taiwan. [1]

Baby corn is typically eaten whole, cob and all, in contrast to mature maize, whose cob is typically too hard for human consumption. It is consumed both raw and cooked. Cooking it does not change its culinary and physical properties significantly; texture remains relatively the same, as does taste, either raw or cooked. Baby corn is very common in Asian cuisine.""

I like to eat it raw as a snack and cooked.

krystan

Answer 4

Baby corn.

Answer 5

Baby Corn. Regular corn harvested early.

Answer 6

It's baby corn and you can buy it in a can in the canned vegetable aisle of your grocery store.

Answer 7

Those are nasty.I pick them out.

Answer 8

They are called Baby Corns they are just really corn but they were harvested eariler when they were small in the name Baby Corn...my family owns a chinese restaurant so I should know this, then they are mostly soaked in a syrup and then canned and shipped to the various restaurants by food compainese