What Does Glass Gem Corn Taste Like?

Glass gem corn is a type of heirloom corn that was developed in Oklahoma by Carl Barnes, a Native American farmer.

The corn is named for its beautiful, translucent kernels which come in a variety of colors including blue, green, pink, and purple.

While the appearance of glass gem corn is certainly unique, what does it taste like?

Here is a well-researched and composed piece to let you know about these colorful little corn kernels.

What Is Glass Gem Corn?

Born in Oklahoma, Glass Gem Corn was bred for the first time by a curious farmer, Carl Barnes, while experimenting with colorful corn seeds and careful pollination to see the resulting produce.

Glass Gem corns are a type of flint corn known for their attractive color combinations.

These colorful cobs took the internet by surprise, as more and more people wanted to try producing their own set of edible rainbow kernels.

What Does Glass Gem Corn Taste Like?

Glass Gem Corn kernels have a neutral and mostly bland taste. Some very rare cobs may have slightly sweet kernels while most have a starchy taste, unlike the yellow sweet corn. They cannot be eaten off the cob as they do not have any specific flavor or texture to offer.

However, Glass Gem corns can be made into cornmeal, tortillas, or even popcorn through processing as they are the flint variety of corns that are meant to be reproduced and not consumed directly.

The kernels are usually dried before they are processed or simply used for ornamental purposes.

Watch how Glass Gem Corn is grown and incorporated into delicious meals!

What Is The Texture Of Glass Gem Corn?

Glass Gem corn has a tough external layer with a soft interior flesh. Raw glass gem corns have a chewy and firm texture that is usually not consumed in its natural state. Glass gem corn kernels have a starchy and dry feel.

The reason behind the texture and color of the kernel is to protect the softer insides from predators and camouflage well in the wild.

Do Different Colors of Glass Gem Corn Taste Different?

No, although the varying colors of glass gem corns make us think that maybe they will taste different, they all taste the same. Every kernel has the same starchy, unsweetened, and starchy taste with a fibrous feel.

The vibrant colored kernels like emerald, bright green, ruby, dark blue, pink, white, yellow, gray, and many more have the same taste.

Is Glass Gem Corn Toxic?

Glass Gem Corn is neither toxic nor poisonous and can be safely eaten, under all circumstances. All colors of the glass gem corn are edible but do not taste anything like the known yellow sweet corn. They are instead used to make flour, cornmeal, or popcorn. 

Only the kernels are the edible parts of the corn. The cob is too tough and tasteless to be edible. It is thus not consumed.

What Is The Different Between Glass Gem Corn And Sweet Corn?

The most evident difference between Glass Gem Corn and Sweet Corn is in its taste. The former doesn’t have the sweet and pleasant taste the latter has. They also differ in colors; glass gem corn comes in an uncountable number of vibrant colors while sweet corn only comes as bright yellow. 

Glass gem corn has very limited culinary use, like popcorn or ground to be cornmeal.

Sweet corn on the other hand can be added to endless meals or even enjoyed by itself.

How Is Glass Gem Corn Eaten?

Even though Glass Gem corn cannot be eaten straight from the cob, it can be enjoyed in some other ways like popping it to get popcorn or grinding it to get cornmeal to further make corn tortilla, grits, and hominy. 

For preparing popcorn, the kernels just need to be popped in oil, in a covered container.

The kernels should be dehydrated and ground to get a glass gems granulated fine mix.

Does Glass Gem Corn Taste Like Baby corn?

No, glass gem corn and baby corn have very distinct flavors and appearances. While glass gem corn has a starchy and mostly bland taste and vibrant colored fully-grown kernels, baby corn has a unique, sweet, and delicate taste and creamy color.

Glass gem corn only achieves its vibrant colors once they are fully developed while baby corn is simply underdeveloped sweet corn.  

Can You Eat Glass Gem Corn Raw?

No, glass gem corn kernels are too firm and chewy to be eaten raw. They are dehydrated and ground to make into powdered cornmeal that can further be used to make tortillas, grits, or hominy. They can also be popped into popcorn.

Glass Gem corn is considered too beautiful to be eaten and is used predominantly for its ornamental features.

How Does Glass Gem Corn Popcorn Taste?

Glass Gem corn kernels popped to make popcorn have a taste similar to unflavored sweet corn popcorn. Since glass gem corns do not have any noticeable innate taste, they have to be well-seasoned with butter or other favored condiments while they are popped or after.

They do not retain their vibrant colors once they have popped but retain the corn flavor and the crunchy yet soft flavor that melts in your mouth.

How Is Glass Gem Hominy Used?

Glass Gem corn hominy tastes similar to sweet corn hominy, just less sweet. They can be prepared by boiling one portion of glass gem corns with two portions of water with baking soda for thirty minutes and letting it sit for twenty more minutes. 

The kernel hulls are then pulled off to get only the colorless and softer flesh within. It can be stored and used in the same ways as sweet corn hominy.

In The End

I hope you enjoyed this colorful ride to the land of Glass Gem Corn and get helpful insight into what they taste like. 

Do invite your friends and family to experience tasting this uniquely ornamental fruit with us by sharing this guide!