It may seem obvious but baby corn really is baby corn (aka in the UK as maize), however it’s not nearly as starchy as corn-on-the-cob.

You can eat them raw. Or you can cook them.

How to cook baby corn

If you cook them, you should boil for four or five minutes; or you could steam for a minute longer; or stir fry them in olive or walnut oil for an extra minute; or you can microwave in a little water for three or four minutes.

Anoint with butter…with salt and pepper…and I add a pinch of ground turmeric and some dry-fried and crushed cumin seeds. Or some Moroccan cumin salt. 

Ways to use them:

• As an accompaniment with butter and lime juice
• With a smoked salmon, avocado and radish salad
• They make some of the best crudités (more taste than celery, more shape than cucumber) – especially good with a curried mayonnaise dip
• Added to all kinds of stir-fries – one of the largest producers is Thailand and it is widely used all over Asia. A particularly good mix is with chicken and green pepper. Personally, I prefer not to throw in the whole cob – I slice horizontally first, and then add.
• Ken Hom suggests boiling broccoli and baby sweet corn together for two or three minutes, and then stir frying with hydrated dried mushrooms. For four people you need 450g/1 lb broccoli; 225g/8 oz baby corn; and four tbsps of dried mushrooms. Stir fry them all together. Then make a sauce of 1 tsp salt, a few grinds of pepper, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp rice wine and 4 tbsps thick dark soy sauce. Mix into the vegetables and serve with an extra drizzle of sesame oil.
• Cook them in batter and serve with fried fish instead of chips
• They’re good fried with masala