America Is Seriously In Love With Corn
Vegetables may not be considered a "fun food," but they are still a necessary part of a well-balanced diet, so you might as well eat the ones you like, right? We've all got our preferred veggies. However, according to recent data, one is significantly more popular than the rest. Green Giant conducted a survey and found that corn does dwarf its green frozen goodies. According to the survey, 5,100 Americans in 32 states chose corn as their favorite vegetable.
In 2021, Mashed also determined that 43% of our readers are corn fans. That's why they always go for our corny jokes, we suppose. Interestingly enough, Iowa — the nation's leading corn producer — prefers broccoli. Mashed readers, however, aren't quite as fond of the bitter green veggie, as it only captured 22% of the vote in our survey. Approximately 33% of the people polled by Green Giant are also big broccoli fans, but even the more than 1 in 3 Americans who prefer broccoli don't supersede the corn lovers.
South Dakota even has its own Corn-bassador
While many of us are pretty fond of corn's versatility in a number of recipes, one young lad rose to viral fame because of his love of corn. Tariq first appeared on the YouTube channel Recess Therapy, which features person-in-the-street style interviews, except they're more like kid-on-the-playground ones, as the interviewees tend to be elementary school-aged. In Tariq's first appearance, he was seen chowing down on corn on the cob. When asked about it, he told the man with the microphone, "I really like corn ... I can't imagine a more beautiful thing." Millions of viewers agreed.
Musical group Schmoyoho (aka the Gregory Brothers) even turned Tariq's corn endorsement into a viral song that eventually was covered by celebs like Martha Stewart and Kevin Bacon. The Corn Kid now has his own TikTok account — and he's closing in on a million followers. However, perhaps his biggest accolade came from none other than the governor of South Dakota. Kristi Noem signed a proclamation last fall to make it official: Tariq is now the state's official Corn-bassador.
South Dakota already has a special relationship with this vegetable as the nation's sixth-most corn-producing state and home to the famously cheesy (or corny) roadside attraction known as the Corn Palace. Tariq and his fans can rest assured that, at least for now, corn will continue to enjoy its place in the spotlight.