Friday, October 14, 2011

Will Miss #376 - corn is king


Corn is everywhere in Western food, but it's usually a background ingredient except when it is served whole or shucked as a side dish. For our snacks, you find that we cover up the corn with strongly flavored powders and spices, or, in the case of cereal, sugar. In Japan, "corn" is often placed front and center as a flavor and a component. I've had corn sembei, and even corn caramels, and they're delicious. There are also corn KitKats, though I personally haven't sampled them yet. Corn potage, which is sold as an instant soup as well as in cartons, is the only delicious soup I have ever had reconstituted from a powder.

The corn soups, snacks, and various other food preparations in Japan are delicious, and I'm going to miss them.