Corny Quiz: What Do You Know About This American Food Staple?

By: Staff

5 Min Quiz

Image: MmeEmil / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Corn on the cob is a summer staple, and it seems as American as baseball and apple pie. But where did it really originate and how healthy are its byproducts? See how much you know about this sweet and crunchy treat with our Corn on the Cob quiz.

Where did corn originate?

Although once believed to have originated in Asia, botanists has since determined that corn -- or maize -- is native to the Americas.

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True or false: To cut corn off the cob, you must first cook it.

Corn can be cut off the cob cooked or uncooked for use in recipes.

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True or false: The United States grows 40 percent of the world's corn crop.

The United States grows 40 percent of the world's corn, most of it in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Minnesota.

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True or false: Of all corn grown in America, most of it is consumed by humans.

In the United States, more corn is consumed by farm animals than humans.

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How many varieties of corn are in existence?

There are almost 250 different kinds of corn.

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True or false: Four of every 10 ears of corn are used to produce ethanol.

Thanks to government subsidies, four of every 10 ears of corn grown in America are used to produce the biofuel ethanol.

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How many cups of kernels does a typical ear of corn yield?

A medium-sized ear of corn yields about 1/2 cup of corn kernels.

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Which of the following dishes typically contain corn.

Each of these dishes contains corn in some form.

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True or false: High-fructose corn syrup breaks down in the body just the same as sugar.

In 2010, Princeton University researchers found that high-fructose corn syrup caused lab animals to gain more weight than sugar.

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True or false: Although corn is not listed in its ingredients, Coca-Cola is reliant on the corn industry.

High-fructose corn syrup, a byproduct of corn, is found in most sodas, including Coca-Cola.

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Which of the following energy sources is made from corn?

Ethanol, an increasingly popular biofuel, is made from corn.

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True or false: The bigger the corn kernel, the sweeter the corn.

Ears of corn with small, plump kernels are the most flavorful.

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True or false: When grilling corn on the cob, you should soak it in water first.

When grilling on an open flame, the corn husk will catch fire unless you soak it in water first.

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True or false: Corn subsidies for ethanol have caused the cost of livestock that feed on corn to rise.

Now that corn is in high demand, its price is on the rise. This price increase causes the cost of livestock that feed on it to rise, as well.

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In which season does corn peak?

Corn is harvested and enjoyed in summer.

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Which of the following adult beverages is made from corn?

Whiskey is made from fermenting corn mash.

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Corn is used in which of the following products?

Corn is used in lots of items you wouldn't expect it, even batteries, pharmaceuticals and glues.

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True or false: Sweet corn, which is consumed by humans, and field corn, which is eaten by livestock, look identical.

Sweet corn plants are actually about 2 feet shorter than field corn plants.

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True or false: Corn is often referred to as maize in other countries.

Corn is known as maize in countries like India.

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How do you know when field corn is ready to be harvested?

Field corn dries out as it matures, causing a noticeable dent in the top of the kernels.

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