Corn is one of the world’s most nutritious grains. There are many hues of corn (yellow, white, blue, mixed) worldwide. Different varieties of corn are available in distinct regions.
Sweet corn and yellow corn are the two most well-known varieties of corn consumed in many forms. Sweet corn is known as the processed form of corn. Yellow corn is that corn that has yellow kernels.
Key Takeaways
- Sweet corn is a variety of corn bred for its high sugar content and is eaten fresh, while yellow corn is a type of field corn grown for various uses, such as animal feed or processed foods.
- Sweet corn has a shorter shelf life than yellow corn due to its higher sugar content and moisture.
- Yellow corn has a starchy texture and less sweetness than sweet corn, which has a tender, juicy texture and a distinct sweetness.
Sweet Corn vs Yellow corn
While sweet corn is eaten cooked and as a vegetable, yellow corn is used in various products, including snacks, baked goods, and beverages. Yellow corn is also a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals and is used as a gluten-free alternative to wheat flour for gluten allergies.
Sweet corn is a sweeter version of corn and is found in different hues. It is gathered in the milk stage, and to avoid starch levels, these are canned or converted into a frozen vegetable.
Since the kernels are soft, this can be consumed raw and either by seasoning it with lemon or salt.
Yellow corn is formed after mutating the white corn. It is packed into a lime-colored husk with silk and tassels. It is more nutrient than other corns due to the presence of beta carotene.
Beta carotene turns into vitamin A while digestion takes place. It has been popular among people since the 20th century.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Sweet Corn | Yellow Corn |
|---|---|---|
| Other Names | Other names of sweet corn are sugar corn and pole corn. | Another name of yellow corn is field corn. |
| Consumption | Sweet corn is consumed in raw and processed forms. | Yellow corn cannot be consumed raw. |
| Color | Sweet can be of any hue (blue, white, yellow, etcetera). | Yellow corn is of yellow hue. |
| Sugar Content | The amount of natural sugar in sweet corn is 8 grams. | The amount of natural sugar in yellow corn is 6.26 grams. |
| Harvesting Time | It depends on the type of color of the sweet corn. | It is harvested within four months. |
What is Sweet Corn?
Sweet corn is a well-known type of corn worldwide. It has been popular among us since the 20th century and is known by other names (sugar corn and pole corn). It is a mutated crop of field corn and white corn as it is of different colors.
Sweet corn has been prepared by following the recessive mutation method (when the characteristic of one gene remains unexpressed because another one is dominant).
Recessive mutation helps in controlling the conversion of sugar into starch. Unlike all corns, sweet is harvested at an immature stage (milk stage). Sweet corn is classified as a vegetable, not a grain.
There is no way to turn it into corn flour. It is consumed raw, packed, or canned. The vegetable is processed after harvesting to stop the maturing and hard texture. It can be stored in a frozen form and boiled after that.
It is for creating a bunch of delicacies (American snacks, Italian snacks, and even Indian snacks). Unique usage is made in Indonesia by soaking sweet corn into milk to add B vitamins and niacin to prevent pellagra disease.
Fitness freak people consume it with black pepper and salt. Moreover, people add on this in the healthy salad. It is a cholesterol-free and fiber-rich vegetable that keeps us full and controls the hunger pangs.
It also controls heart-related diseases and improves digestion. Moreover, it has anti-cancer properties. This mutated vegetable is packed with multiple nutrients and is beneficial for people.
What is Yellow Corn?
Field corn is another name for yellow corn. Since the twentieth century, these have also become known. It was initially grown for livestock and ethanol production.
It is the mutant corn of the white corn and is grown in warm conditions in short rows and is covered tightly with lime-colored husk. A single ear of corn can have kernels up to 400. All the kernels are yellow.
It consists of beta carotene, which is the reason behind the yellow color of the corn. Beta carotene becomes vitamin A during digestion. Yellow corn has a taller crop than sweet corn. After maturing, it can be harvested. So it doesn’t become starchy.
As a grain, it has hard kernels. It can’t be eaten raw and can be used to make corn flour. It can be roasted over an open fire. One can remove the kernels from the ear of corn and make popcorns of it in different flavors.
Moreover, yellow corn is also a good and healthy meal for digestion and is a lesser sweet cereal than sweet corn. It can be made into flakes and eaten with milk, curd, or in a dry form.
Corn flakes also come in distinct flavors. It keeps the tummy full for a long time. It is a healthy version of a meal and good for losing weight, and it is a fiber-rich meal.
Main Differences Between Sweet Corn and Yellow Corn
- The sugar content in sweet corn is 8 grams. On the other hand, yellow corn’s sugar content is 6.26 grams.
- Sweet corn is a vegetable. However, yellow corn is a grain.
- The fields of sweet corn are shorter when compared to the fields of yellow corn.
- Sweet corn can be called sugar corn and pole corn. On the other side, yellow corn is also known as field corn.
- Sweet corn can be eaten raw by combining it with other snacks and vegetables. On the contrary, yellow corn can not be eaten raw.
- Sweet corn can be harvested at the milk stage. However, yellow corn is harvested at the mature stage.
- https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/jf00108a049
- https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.50.1293.352
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