By Chef Kaviraj Khialani.

Corn is an extremely versatile product that has been grown in the Americas for hundreds of years. Native Americans introduced it to the settlers who landed in Mesoamerica. The Native Americans called this vegetable maize. The English changed the name to corn because in England, the term corn was used to denote small particles or particular grains that referred to the grains on the corn cob. There are three main varieties of corn: sweet corn, dent corn and flint corn. Sweet corn is almost entirely eaten by humans on the cob. Sweet corn is often found in supermarkets and in roadside produce stands. Dent corn is used as animal feed and for other industrial purposes. Flint corn is still grown in Central America and is the closest variety to maize. Varieties of flint corn are often used to make popcorn. Corn is such a versatile commodity that it can be used to make a variety of goods including sweetener, oil, flour and even plastic.