[Trivia] A quiz to deepen your corn knowledge

morning

Corn converts starch into sugars through photosynthesis, but when the sun sets, that process stops and the sugars begin reverting back into starch. Therefore, even within a single day, corn harvested early in the morning retains more sweetness and tastes sweeter. If it’s harvested during the day, sunlight causes the sugars to start turning back into starch, so morning is best for preserving sweetness.

about 90 days

In general corn cultivation, you can harvest about 90 days after sowing. However, this is an average figure and may vary depending on the growing conditions and the variety. During that period, sufficient watering and fertilizer are necessary, and with proper care you can harvest high-quality corn.

rice

The world’s three major cereals are corn, wheat, and rice, which have high production volumes and are deeply rooted in food cultures. These are staple foods in many regions around the world, and their production and consumption far exceed those of other grains. In particular, rice holds a very important place as a staple food in Asia.

silk thread

Corn silk is called “silk threads.” Each silk thread functions as a pollen tube, a necessary pathway through which pollen travels to form seeds (kernels). The healthier the silk threads are, the more kernels you can expect to develop.

the same as real numbers

The number of corn silks matches the number of kernels, and each individual silk delivers nutrients to its corresponding kernel. This structure contributes to the uniform seed formation of corn.

corn

Corn is written in kanji as “玉蜀黍.” As this character suggests, corn has been cultivated in China since ancient times and later spread throughout the world. This elegant kanji, tied to its origins and history, has also become established as the Japanese name.

China

Corn (tōmorokoshi) came to be called “tōmorokoshi” in Japan when it was introduced from China, being named as a ‘Tang (Chinese) plant’ called ‘morokoshi.’ In ancient Japan, ‘Tang’ (Tō) referred to China, and many items were given names prefixed with ‘Tang,’ so this followed that convention. The name also derives from the appearance of many kernels attached like beans.