Corn nut

Corn nuts

Corn nuts, also known as toasted corn or corn bits, is a snack food made of roasted or deep-fried corn kernels.

Preparation

Corn nuts are prepared by soaking whole corn kernels in water for three days, then deep-frying them in oil until they are hard and brittle. The kernels are soaked because they shrink during the harvesting and cleaning process, and rehydration returns them to their original size.

History

Albert Holloway invented corn nuts in 1936. He originally sold them to tavern owners to be given away free to their patrons as a snack that would be great with beer, calling them Brown Jug Toasted Corn.^[1]

In the 1990s, Corn Nuts released its famous "Bust a Nut" radio campaign, which was pulled from the airwaves on some radio stations after complaints. The advertisement can still be heard here: Corn Nuts - Bust a Nut Radio Advertisement.

Varieties and Brands

CornNuts

Holloway later renamed his product CornNuts. After Holloway and his sons Maurice and Rich learned of a breed of corn grown in Cusco, Peru that grew large one-inch kernels, the company researched developing a hybrid of the Cusco corn that could be grown effectively in California. After a decade of research, the company introduced CornNuts made with the hybrid variety in 1964.^[1]

The most popular brand, CornNuts was owned by Holloway's original family company until the company was purchased by Nabisco^[2] in 1998.^[3] As of 2007, CornNuts is part of Planters, a subsidiary of Kraft Foods. It is currently available in eight flavors: Original, Barbecue, Nacho Cheese, Chile Picante, Caliente Mix, Lime, Ranch, and Chorizo Chipotle.^[4]

Cornick

A Filipino variant of corn nuts is cornick. Compared to the American variety, cornick pieces are typically smaller and crispier. Garlic is the most common flavor of cornick, with other common flavors including: chili cheese, adobo, barbecue, lechón manok, and sweet. Major brands include Boy Bawang (literally "Garlic Boy" in Tagalog, commonly sold in small packets), Corn Bits, and Safari. Safari was introduced in 2008 while Boy Bawang was introduced in the 1990s

A popular variety of cornick is the lighter, chicharrón-like chichacorn,^[5] which is made from glutinous corn from the Ilocos Region.^[6]

Diana

Diana, a snack company in El Salvador, makes a variety of corn nut like snacks. These are called elotitos in Spanish, or Crunchy Cornbits^[7]. These come in a variety of seasonings, such as Lemon, Cheese and Chili, and Barbecue. These are sold throughout Central America.

See also

• Soy nut
• List of edible seeds

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Foley, Michelle (2007-09-12). "What Are CornNuts?". Chow. CBS Interactive. http://www.chow.com/stories/10720. Retrieved 2009-02-27. 
2. ^ Pacciorini, Albert C. (1997-11-06). "Nabisco to Buy California-Based Cornnuts for Undisclosed Amount". The Monterey County Herald 
3. ^ Former Cornnuts President Appointed as National Sales Director. Baywood International. 2000-03-21 
4. ^ "Our Varieties". CornNuts. http://www.planters.com/cornnuts/flavor.aspx. Retrieved 2009-02-27. 
5. ^ "Company History". Ilocos Food Products. http://chichacorn.com/history.html. Retrieved 2009-02-27. 
6. ^ Palma, Ireneo B. (2004). "Experts Identify Promising Glutinous Corn Varieties for Green Corn and "Cornick" Production". Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development. http://www.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph/news/press%20releases/jun%202004/prmay04%20-%20113.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-27. 
7. ^ "Diana snacks, El Salvador, Elotitos". http://www.diana.com.sv/?prd=3. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 

External links

• CornNuts at Planters.com
• Diana snacks main webpage.