Miniature or “baby” corn consists of immature, unpollinated ears from full-sized corn varieties, picked two to four days after the silks emerge from the ear, when the cob is still edible, crisp, and sweet. (The rest of the plant becomes animal feed.) The ear may be 2–4 in/5–10 cm long and contains 2–3% sugar. Miniature corn production was developed in Taiwan and advanced in Thailand; Central America has recently become a major source.
From the book On Food and Cooking (2nd edition) by Harold McGee. © 2004 Harold McGee.
By permission of Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.