It is one of the six major types of corn, the others sweet corn cooking time dent corn, flint corn, pod corn, popcorn, and flour corn. Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.
Sweet corn occurs as a spontaneous mutation in field corn and was grown by several Native American tribes. Open pollinated cultivars of white sweet corn started to become widely available in the United States in the 19th century. In 1933 ‘Golden Cross Bantam’ was released. There are currently hundreds of cultivars, with more constantly being developed. The fruit of the sweet corn plant is the corn kernel, a type of fruit called a caryopsis. The ear is a collection of kernels on the cob. Because corn is a monocot, there is always an even number of rows of kernels.
In most of Latin America, sweet corn is traditionally eaten with beans. Although both corn and beans contain all 9 essential amino acids, eating a wide variety of foods in one day that includes grains and beans ensures the right balance of essential amino acids. In Malaysia, there exists a variety unique to the region of Cameron highlands named “pearl corn”. The kernels are glossy white resembling pearls and can be eaten raw of the cob but often boiled in water and salt. In the Philippines, boiled sweet corn kernels are served hot with margarine and cheese powder as an inexpensive snack sold by street vendors.