Fun Holiday – Corn on the Cob Day

A corn cob is the central woody part of maize or corn on which the corn grains are attached. Corn on the cob is a type of dish where the corn grains are cooked and eaten while still on the cob. Corn on the cob can be boiled, grilled, or roasted and served as a side dish or enjoyed as is.

Never Served at Formal Occasions

Because eating corn on the cob can be a messy affair - hands have to be used, the kernels tend to stick in one's teeth - etiquette rules that it should never be served at formal occasions or ordered on a first date. According to Emily Post, one of history's leading etiquette specialists, corn on the cob should not usually be served at lunch or dinner, but if it is, one must not "attack it ferociously or greedily".

An Ancient Crop

Corn or maize is an ancient plant native to the Americas. It is believed that corn was first cultivated in Mexico and spread around the world via European explorers in the 15th and 16th centuries. The starchy seeds or kernels of the plant are now used by millions of people around the world as their staple food.

How to Celebrate?

• Get the grill out and grill some delicious corn on the cob to accompany the iced tea you made on June 10. If you are in the Southern Hemisphere, make some corn on the cob to remind you of the summer.

Did You Know…

…that a corncob is part of the corn plant's flower? The individual kernels are seeds of the plant.