May’s the month to get an earful of amazing maize

Following the example of clean eaters and those on a gluten-free kick, Fiann Ó Nualláin is sweet on corn.

Zea mays var. saccharata— better known as sweetcorn — is a mutation of field maize, (plain old Zea mays) and yields more tender and sweeter kernels.

Both were possibly first domesticated in south America by the Olmecs and Mayan civilisations between 9,000BC and 8,000BC.