What are the types of corn?

In fact, there are many kinds of corn, so today I will introduce you to the types of corn:

1. Hard grain type:

Also called flint type. The seeds are mostly square and round, with horny endosperm on the top and around, and only the part near the embryo in the center is powdery, so the appearance is translucent and shiny, hard and full. The color of the seeds is mostly yellow, sometimes yellow, red, purple, etc. The seeds are of good quality. It has been cultivated in China for a long time and is mainly used as food.

2. Horse tooth shape:

Also called horse tooth type. The seeds are flat and rectangular. Because the powdery top dries faster than the keratin on both sides, the middle of the top is concave, resembling horse teeth, hence the name. The seed surface is wrinkled, rough and opaque, mostly yellow or white, a few are purple or red, and the edible quality is poor. It is the most cultivated type in the world and China, suitable for making starch and alcohol or as feed.

3. Half horse tooth type:

Also called intermediate type. It is a hybrid of flint and dent corn. The top of the kernel is shallower than the dent type, and some are not sunken but only have white spots. The powdery endosperm on the top is less than the dent type but more than the flint type. The quality is better than the dent type, and it is cultivated more in China.

4. Powder type:

Also known as soft type. The endosperm is all powdery, and the grains are milky white and dull. It can only be used as a raw material for making starch and is rarely cultivated in China.

5. Sweet type:

Also known as sweet corn. The endosperm is mostly horny, high in sugar and low in starch. When it matures, the water evaporates, causing the surface of the kernel to shrink and become translucent. It is mostly used as a vegetable, but not much is grown in China.

6. Sweet powder type:

The upper part of the seed is horny endosperm, and the lower part is powdery endosperm. It is rarely cultivated in China.

7. Waxy type:

Also known as the glutinous type. The endosperm of the grain is completely horny but not transparent and waxy, and the endosperm is almost entirely composed of amylopectin. The taste is similar to glutinous rice, sticky and soft and delicious. It is only cultivated sporadically in China.

8. Explosive type:

The seeds are small, rice-shaped or pearl-shaped, the endosperm is almost entirely horny, hard and transparent, and the seed coat is mostly white or red. It is particularly suitable for processing puffed foods such as popcorn. It is cultivated sporadically in China.