[Samia's food facts and recipes] Corn on the cob, an autumn treat

My recent visit to Seorak Mountain has made a difference in how I look at romance, love and food. I saw a young couple eating corn on the cob that had been prepared by a vendor just outside the hotel area. It`s tough to beat the taste of freshly cooked corn; add to that the feelings the young couple was experiencing and I think you`ve got a little slice of heaven. The woman was pulling the corn kernels off the cob one by one with her dainty fingers and feeding her lover. He would smile and laugh every time she put a kernel in his mouth. I couldn`t help feeling a bit envious of their beautiful connection. I decided to try the corn for myself, and it was the most delicious corn on the cob I have ever tasted. I was so touched by the whole experience that I decided to feature this fabulously simple fall dish for this week`s column.

Corn, also known as maize, is an herbaceous plant (meaning it belong to the grass family) which originated in Mesoamerica and later spread all over the American continents. With corn being easy to grow and easy on the digestive system, it spread throughout Europe by the 16th century. Sweet corn - the kind we eat on the cob - is a variety of maize with a high sugar content. Sweet corn`s scientific name is Zea mays var. rugosa. Sweet corn is harvested while the kernels are immature (in the milk stage), and it`s eaten as a vegetable, not as a grain. The field corn varieties are harvested when the kernels are dry and mature. There are many varieties of corn used for human and animal consumption. Many ingredients are made from corn, such as corn syrup, cornstarch and ethanol.

Historically, the Iroquois were the first on record to have cultivated sweet corn, called Papoon, which European settlers ate in 1779. Corn became popular in the southern and central United States because of its versatility. A few theories about the origin of corn exist. One theory is that corn was found in central Mexico 9,000 years ago, and the oldest historical evidence of corn was found in a cave in Puebla dating back to 2750 BC. Another theory states that corn may have evolved from a hybridization of another genus. In short, corn has been around for a long time.

Corn production occurs worldwide, with the United States producing about 42 percent of the world`s harvest. China, Brazil, Mexico, India, Argentina and France are also producers of corn. For humans, cornmeal is a staple food in many parts of the world. Corn is also is used to feed livestock in the United States and Canada. Corn alcohol (called moonshine, it has a high alcohol content and is similar to soju) is made from corn. Polenta, a popular food in Italy, is also made from corn. Corn is the main ingredient in tortillas and many other Mexican dishes.

Corn on the cob is popular in the United States, especially during the summer and fall. Corn is also used to make cornbread, cornflakes, and one of my favorite dishes, spoon bread, which is made with cornmeal and eggs. Corn can be made into flour that contains less bran than wheat flour, but its baking quality is not as good because it lacks the protein gluten, found in wheat. Koreans love corn on the cob, but they are not familiar with cornmeal, which is a traditional part of Thanksgiving in the United States.

Native Americans have historically consumed plenty of corn, yet when it was introduced outside the Americas, people began suffering from malnutrition. This did not make sense, since the Native Americans did not have a malnutrition problem. It was discovered that they knew about the issues with consuming incomplete proteins, and they added alkali in the form of ashes and lime (calcium carbonate) to the cornmeal to release niacin (a B-vitamin). Niacin deficiency, along with a lack of the amino acids lysine and tryptophan, can cause a disease known as pellagra. The amino acid levels increased with the addition of alkali to corn. The Native Americans also knew to add beans to their diet to provide a complete protein.

The new Americans did not have any knowledge of the nutritional value of corn. They also did not know how to supplement corn to create a complete protein. Because of this, the 19th century saw the pellagra endemic in the deep southern part of the United States. By 1932, it was discovered that niacin deficiency was the cause of pellagra. Today, it is widely understood that an incomplete protein must be balanced with other foods.

One hundred grams of corn is only 90 calories with 19 grams carbohydrate, 2.7 grams fiber and 3.2 grams protein. Once again, corn is low in niacin, which contributes to its potential for causing nutritional deficiency. Corn and beans together make a complete protein, so if a vegan diet is important to you, then balance the nutrient values of the food you eat through clever and delicious combinations. Tofu can also be combined with corn, since it is a compete protein.

Corn on the cobl 4 ears of corn (before cooking, husk corn and pull silky threads off)

Drop corn into a large pot filled with boiling slated water. Cover pot and let water return to a boil again. Turn heat off and keep pot covered for five minutes. Then put corn on the grill for a few minutes and serve. I do not put anything other than salt on the corn, but you can add spices and butter as you please. Makes two servings.

Note: If you leave the corn in hot water too long, it becomes tough.

(Samiamounts@yahoo.com)Dr. Samia Mounts is a long-time nutritionist and gourmet aficionado. She is the Assistant Principal at Seoul American elementary School. - Ed.

By Samia Mounts