TL; DR – Should I eat my corn straight off from the cob or remove it first – and then eat it? This has been a hotly debated topic for quite some time. Well, it’s no secret that eating corn directly from the cob can be a rather demanding task. However, there are still people who swear that eating it this way is the only "truly authentic" way of eating it – by enjoying the "full" experience. So what is the better way?

Personally, I believe that the best way to eat corn is when it’s already been removed from the cob. My main reason for this this is because I find that getting corn stuck in between my teeth is one of the hardest things, when it comes to eating corn off the cob directly. My other reasons for removing corn from the cob before eating it also include, it’s more efficient, less messy and easier overall. The blog food52.com confirms this when writer Mayukh Sen (2017) points out that some people do indeed find eating corn directly from the cob, “a more painstaking than pleasurable experience.”

What’s more, there are even various ways that corn can be removed from the cob. The most common way a lot of people do it (including me) is by just cutting it straight off from the cob. Two other interesting ways to remove it have already been shared via the internet and various social media platforms, as they are both quite popular.

The first interesting way (which received over 39,000 retweets, 41,000 likes on Twitter) involves using only your hands by plucking individual-like columns of kernels from the cob. Of course, there is a specific way this has to be done but the bottom line it it works and people love it! The second interesting way is to use a toothpick or skewer to remove the kernels row by row. Simply stick the toothpick/skewer in the amount of kernels you would like to remove and lift and pull.

Furthermore, Sarah Jampel who also writes for the blog food52.com informs us that one can actually tell a lot about someone based on their corn-eating habits. She goes on to say that Kathleen Kelleher of the LA Times once asked readers to "think of the way you eat corn on the cob as a Rorschach test, a kind of toothy imprint of the psyche, a revealer of truth."

I find this is a very interesting way of putting it. So based on this then, what does my corn-eating habit(s) say about me? The website spoonuniversity.com says that if one removes corn from the cob by cutting, one is strong and free and doesn't take any nonsense from anybody - it symbolizes that one doesn't need the cob to support them and that they're cutting all the drama from their life and living the way they want. So there you have it!

Also, it should be noted that while I do prefer removing the corn from the cob before eating it, there is no “right” or “proper” way to eat corn.

Sources:

1. What Your Corn-Eating Habits Say About Your Personality
   https://food52.com/blog/20267-is-there-a-right-way-to-eat-corn [accessed February 10, 2021].

2. Sen M. The "Best" Way to Eat Corn on the Cob, According to the Internet
   https://food52.com/blog/20105-the-best-way-to-eat-corn-on-the-cob-according-to-the-internet [accessed February 10, 2021].

3. Tell Us How You Eat Your Corn, and We'll Tell You What Kind of Person You Are https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/what-kind-of-person-you-are-based-on-how-you-eat-corn [accessed February 10, 2021].

I have to disagree with this opinion.
I think that corn eaten straight from the cob tastes so much better. It somehow tastes fresher and and has more flavour.
I always associate corn on the cob to happy summer times, such as having a BBQ. When I think of corn already removed from the cob, I think of the processed stuff that comes in the tins.
Perhaps, I prefer eating corn straight from the cob as I associate happier memories / weather with it?

TL; DR I’m mixed on this one.

For taste, undoubtedly corn is better straight from the cob, lathered in butter and fresh from the BBQ. However, as someone who has permanent brace retaining wires behind their teeth, there is nothing more frustrating than eating corn this way. In general, I’d say that corn is better when eaten directly, but for me, and for the sake of ease, cutting it with a knife is the best way to eat corn.

I disagree because corn is more fun to eat on the cob with butter and ketchup! I don't know why it tastes better to me on the cob but it does, and also I think it is a good food to eat on a date because due to being a strange big corn lump that you eat with your hands it is funny to eat with someone, encourages jokey fun behaviour and can act as an ice-breaker. Corn removed from the cob offers no such advantages.