Shoepeg corn
Encyclopedia
Shoepeg corn is a cultivar
of white sweetcorn
valued for its sweetness. It is characterized by small, narrow kernels tightly and unevenly packed on the cob. The corn has a sweet, mild flavor. The only variety of shoepeg corn available today is Country Gentleman.
Shoepeg corn is popular in some regions of the United States
, particularly in the South
. An early promoter of canned shoepeg corn was Malcolm Mitchell of Maryland
— his Mitchell's Shoepeg Sweet Corn is a brand still available today, although its original center of production was transformed into Aberdeen Proving Ground
soon after the U.S. declared war on the Central Powers
in April 1917.
The name "shoepeg corn" derives from a shoemaking
term used during the 19th century. Shoepeg corn kernels resemble the wooden pegs used to attach soles to the upper part of shoes.
Shoepeg corn is a common ingredient in salads and corn dishes throughout the Southern United States, but is relatively unknown in other areas of the country. It is on rare occasions available fresh in some areas, but it is most often canned.
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
of white sweetcorn
Sweetcorn
Sweet corn is a variety of maize with a high sugar content. Sweet corn is the result of a naturally occurring recessive mutation in the genes which control conversion of sugar to starch inside the endosperm of the corn kernel...
valued for its sweetness. It is characterized by small, narrow kernels tightly and unevenly packed on the cob. The corn has a sweet, mild flavor. The only variety of shoepeg corn available today is Country Gentleman.
Shoepeg corn is popular in some regions of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, particularly in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. An early promoter of canned shoepeg corn was Malcolm Mitchell of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
— his Mitchell's Shoepeg Sweet Corn is a brand still available today, although its original center of production was transformed into Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground is a United States Army facility located near Aberdeen, Maryland, . Part of the facility is a census-designated place , which had a population of 3,116 at the 2000 census.- History :...
soon after the U.S. declared war on the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
in April 1917.
The name "shoepeg corn" derives from a shoemaking
Shoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
term used during the 19th century. Shoepeg corn kernels resemble the wooden pegs used to attach soles to the upper part of shoes.
Shoepeg corn is a common ingredient in salads and corn dishes throughout the Southern United States, but is relatively unknown in other areas of the country. It is on rare occasions available fresh in some areas, but it is most often canned.