Foodies from all over the world travel to Japan to sample one of the sweetest vegetables on earth. It's called "Mirai," a Japanese word that literally translates "Future." And its creation was a complete accident.
Mirai is a trademarked variety of sweet corn that has a sugar consistency of 17 to 28 percent. It was discovered in 1993 by crop scientist David Mackenzie, and created without the use of any biotechnology or genetic modifications. While experimenting with different corn hybrids for an Iowa research project, Mackenzie said he "combined the most tender corn variety with the sweetest," and voila! Mirai was born. It makes a delicious base for sweet corn chowder, or even a rich bisque.
So why is Mirai not as hot of a commodity in the American markets? Mackenzie believes it is because this type of corn is so delicate to harvest. It must be harvested by hand to prevent damage. Hence, in Japan where hand-harvesting is much more prevalent, the production and sale of Mirai can actually turn a profit.
Mackenzie is growing his own field of super-sweet corn and hoping to revolutionize the U.S. markets soon. He owns a restaurant called Montrose's Cafe 110, and is planning to feature Mirai recipes on the menu. From there, he hopes the trend will spread exponentially.
"I will use it in as many places as I can until it is gone," Scott said. "It is really good corn, really sweet. You almost need a glass of milk to go with it."
Source: Telluride Watch Newspaper
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