IN THIS GUIDE

If we say “ sweet corn ” you ’ll plausibly get a fairly strong genial figure aright away : brilliant yellow kernels , possibly cling tight to a cob , mayhap scattered munificently throughout a salad .

But if we say “ maize , ” what come to mind ? A field of corn ? A field of study of something else ? Or maybe you have no idea at all .

ripe corn cobs growing in a field

In this place we ’ll be harness the age - older question : whatisthe divergence between lemon and corn ?

Are They The Same Plant?

Yes , the terms corn and corn are generally used to touch on to the same plant , Latin nameZea mays.1Zea mays ( maize ) . ( 2019).CABI Compendium.https://doi.org/10.1079/cabicompendium.57417

Maize ( the most common term for thecropin the UK ) is a cereal grain and is part of the Poaceae family of plants.2Leszek , P. , & Vincent , D. ( 2012 ) . Zea Mays ( Maize , Corn).ELS.https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470015902.a0003687.pub2

This is an fantastically various harvest that human use for everything from food for thought to plastic production ( there ’ll be more on the various use for this plant later on ) .

corn plants

Confusion around nomenclature stems from the fact that they ’re used differently between different idiom of English .

Regional Dialects

When you have a flora as widespread and tightly woven around human history as corn whiskey , it ’s inevitable that there ’ll be some variations in the names used in different places .

The main reason people require about the conflict between these two footing is the dissimilar agency they ’re used around the world .

In North American English , for example , Zea mays bear on to the yellow marrow , the cob , and the whole plant .

ripe corn growing in a field

You ’ll see high fructose maize syrup in reasonably much every American fixings list , whereas in the UK this would traditionally be thought of as maize syrup .

In the UKnowadayscorn most usually bring up to the kernel , the great black-backed gull , and other food for thought - base uses for the plant .

Maize refers to the crop grown in fields , and is also used in more proficient situations ( scientific research and other formal preferences for example ) .

corn syrup and molasses on a store shelf in America

Then , just to jumble thing even further , the historical use of the wordcornin Europe meant something dissimilar altogether !

In century past , Indian corn would ’ve been used to consult to the dominant harvest in a realm , whether that was wheat , rye , oat , or similar.3Brittain , C. ( 2020 , July 31).Corn . lifetime in the Middle Ages . retrieve March 21 , 2023 , fromhttps://cdalebrittain.blogspot.com/2020/07/corn.html

The precise book of facts would motley depending on the region , but thankfully this usage has accrue out of favour over time .

a field of maize

Maize vs Corn: What Are They Used For?

Here ’s where things get really interesting .

While it ’s not strong to think of recipes that contain corn whisky , did you hump that this crop is used for everything from the product of chemicals , to tip for livestock , to bio - fuels?4Bioenergy Corn . ( 2022 , March 1 ) . CropWatch . recover March 21 , 2023 , fromhttps://cropwatch.unl.edu/bioenergy/corn

First let ’s take a expression at the food use .

corn in a field ready to be harvested

Corn on the filbert is perhaps the most memorable corn data formatting : a utterly proportioned bite with run-in upon row of sweet , gilt kernels quick to be slathered in butter and munched .

plunder the centre and you have what most people would call sweet corn .

A winding quantity of the bright yellow fruits that you’re able to bribe put up or frozen and employ in passably much anything .

corn on the cob and bacon asparagus grilling on a bbq

A small extra crunch in your salad ? Go for it . An sweetening to a sheepherder ’s Proto-Indo European recipe ? You know it is . Something to add to your home plate of sweet shaved ice ? In sure Asian countries , the answer here would be yes too !

Then you ’ve get all the hidden uses of the maize crop : cornmeal , Zea mays starch , corn sirup , texture alcohol , and so many others .

These uses are why Indian corn is one of the most ubiquitous nutrient in the world .

many corn cobs in a factory production line with workers in the background

Move beyond food for thought , though , and maize still comes in utile in a lot of manner .

Starch derived from the crop is used in the production of many types of fabric and plastics , as well as adhesive and other chemical solutions.5Royte , E. ( 2006 , August).Corn Plastic to the Rescue . Smithsonian Magazine . Retrieved March 21 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/corn-plastic-to-the-rescue-126404720/

If you ’re into eco - friendly tech , you could also power your car or heat up your house with bio - fuel derived from maize .

a corn field in the UK

Corn cobs are also ofttimes used as decorative objects in sure region .

Leave them out to dry out and the nitty-gritty temper off , carry on deep hues that appear majuscule against a hick backcloth .

And if you may believe it , we ’ve barely scratch the surface here of how maizecan be used .

“ Growing sweetcorn plant life is easy , but their position in sexual intercourse to each other is authoritative , as corn is wind pollinated , ” shares Horticultural Consultant Dan Ori .

“ To achieve the best cross - pollenation between plant , you should plant multiple seeds in a power grid spaced 30 cm by 30 cm asunder . ”

Now You Know The Answers!

No doubt now any head you had about maize and corn have been answer , and who fuck the subject could be so interesting ?

This industrial plant is inextricably linked to human race , having been a staple harvest around the macrocosm for millennia .

It ’s no wonderment we ’ve ascertain 1000 of ways to employ corn and maize , from food and beyond , think we ’ve lived alongside it for so long .

Thanks for taking the time to register this blog post , and hopefully now you ’ll be capable to put your newfound knowledge to expend .

mayhap in a saloon quiz one day , or by settling an argument at the dinner party table about whether maize and edible corn are the same thing ( hey , it could hap ! )

References