Traditional Chinese Name: 玉米筍糖冬瓜水 (yù mǐ sǔn táng dōng guā shuǐ)
Introduction: An easy to make sweet drink that can be served both hot and cold. Tasting mildly of corn and winter melon, it’s a great drink for hot summer days and is ideal in relieving heatiness in the body.
Ingredient Name: Baby corn, baby maize, candle corn or corn shoots (as directly translated in Chinese)
Traditional Chinese Name: 玉米筍 (yù mǐ sǔn)
What is this?
A premature corn that has a relatively soft cob that can be eaten whole
They are normally 4.5 – 10 cm in length depending on when they were harvested
They are harvested around the time that the corn silk emerges from the ear tips (thereby enabling the harvester to also remove the corn silk – as shown above)
How do I prepare it?
Rinse in warm water and use
Where can I buy this?
This is available fresh in most Asian supermarkets
To find it with the corn silk is not common, but wet marts in Hong Kong will carry them (seasonally)
It’s not common to find it with the ears (as the corn will already be prepared)
Canned baby corn is most common and available in most supermarkets, though for usage in soups, it’s not recommended to use canned/processed baby corn – fresh is always best
What is the cost?
A bunch as picture above cost $5 HKD
Any benefits?
Corn contains healthy amounts of Thiamin (Vitamin B1), Niacin (Vitamin B3), Folate (Vitamin B9), Vitamin C and Magnesium
It is low in fat but high in dietary fibers
Any precautions?
Some people think that since it is a vegetable, it is a relatively complete substitute for many foods – however, corn has a lot of starch and should be eaten in conjunction with other vegetables and legumes
