| Waxy corn | |
|---|---|
  Top:Lagkitan corn, an heirloom waxy corn cultivar from thePhilippines; Bottom:Chal-oksusu, an heirloom waxy corn cultivar fromGangwon,South Korea | |
| Species | Zea mays L. var.ceratina |
| Origin | Southeast Asia,East Asia |
Waxy corn orglutinous corn is a type ofcorn characterized by its sticky texture when cooked. It has big round kernels that haveendosperms that are almost universally white, though thealeurone layers can sometimes be purple or red which cause some cultivars to be multi-colored or even deep purple to black.[1][2]
Waxy corn is absent in theAmericas and is believed to have originated from a singlechromosomalmutation soon after the introduction of corn to Asia from theAmericas. They include a large number of genetically diverse cultivars from various countries that have adapted to a wide range oftropical totemperate environments.[1] It is common throughoutSoutheast Asia (thePhilippines, easternIndonesia,Thailand,Laos,Vietnam, andMyanmar) andEast Asia (China,Taiwan,Japan, andSouth Korea)[3][4][2]
The stickiness of waxy corn cultivars is the result of the presence of larger amounts ofamylopectinstarch in contrast to regular corn (which has larger amounts ofamylose starch).[1]