Thursday, April 03, 2008

Corn-spiracy Theory

I was craving corn in a bad way.

After all, in the fall in Canada, we get beautiful fat kernels of corn on the cob, and all year 'round in Hong Kong, we can get imported corn.

I love corn. Yes, I know it's all sugar and fiber but I love the crunchy sweetness of it. I have rarely eaten it in France. Instead I turn towards those vegetables I rarely see but are usually priced too highly, such as artichokes and asparagus.

But the other day I needed my corn fix and I needed it now. Most of all, I wanted frozen corn to make a corn casserole.

Unfortunately it was Monday and most shops around me were closed. I luckily have a Picard nearby so googled to see if it was open.

And it was.

So off I went. I looked in all of the freezer cabinets and saw artichoke hearts, mange-tout beans, everything except the yellow gold kernels. So I asked the cashier who replied with and icy,

"We don't DO corn at Picard."

I was not surprised at the attitude but more surprised that they didn't "do" corn. After all, everyone loves corn, don't they?

I was even more surprised when I didn't find frozen corn at the Franprix or the G20 nearby. I settled for the canned stuff. Something was up.

I queried Umami the next time I saw her. She said it was because the French think of corn as animal feed and beneath them to eat.

Can this be true? A nation who is happy to eat the colon and stomach of a pig rolled up into a sausage with a lingering aroma of feaces (according to Wikipedia) turns up its nose and scorns the lowly corn? Or is there a corn-spiracy against corn?

(Props to the boy for the horrible pun. He proudly pulled corn-spiracy out of his pocket as I complained... *sigh*)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think corn is also tainted with the ""Genetically Modified crop brush though I am not sure of the details.

Anonymous said...

The cashier at the Picard store was obviously a git, because they DO have corn. I buy it from them all the time... maybe they didn't have it at that store in particular, but try another one and you might find it.

http://www.picard.fr/Modules/FaitesVosCourses/les_legumes_du_soleil184/Produits/3_epis_de_mais_doux1160.html

http://www.picard.fr/Modules/FaitesVosCourses/les_legumes_du_soleil184/Produits/mais_doux_en_grains1203.html

Sui Mai said...

I see.

Normally I chalk it up to misunderstanding the French but I was so surprised, I said "Vraiment? Pas du tout?" and he shook his head.

Ah well, thank you! I know where to get my fix now!