Japanese Food Tips

Gold Rush is a standard variety of Japanese sweet corn and was developed by a Japanese seed campany. Corn came to Japan from Portugal in the late 1500s, but at that time it was a non-sweet type of corn used for livestock feed and as flour. In the Meiji era (1868-1912), sweet corn varieties, a type of corn with a strong sweet taste and thin skin, were imported from the United States to Hokkaido, and sweet and tasty corn spread throughout Japan. Today, there are edible varieties of corn available in Japan that are classified as super sweet varieties, which are even sweeter than sweet corn varieties. There is about a two-fold difference in sugar content between sweet and super sweet varieties, and super sweet varieties are the most commonly available in Japan today. Gold Rush, where each grain shines like gold, is a high-sugar variety packed with a rich aroma and fruity sweetness. The skin of the grains is extremely soft and juicy, bursting with texture, and can be eaten raw. As for how to eat Gold Rush, the key is short cooking time because the kernels are very soft, and it is considered delicious heated in a microwave oven for about 3 minutes. It is mostly boiled or grilled, and the kernels can be removed and used in corn soup, stir-fried or tempura, or as a useful topping for pizza, ramen noodles, salads, and other dishes.