Summer. It means something a little different to everyone, but to me it means running through sprinklers, hiking, road trips, good vibes, strong fruity drinks, and all the best summer foods - especially corn on the cob.

I’ve been eating corn on the cob every summer since I was a little girl. Haven’t we all? Growing up, whenever we would have a big BBQ, it was always my job to shuck all the corn. There’s an unbreakable connection between me, summer, and grilled corn.

I think, like most people, my family has always kept their corn on the cob recipe fairly traditional. Not me. No way. I’m a Savory Spice gal through and through. So, I had an idea…

Experimenting with Corn on the Cob

My boyfriend and I had just committed to starting a certain very trendy low carb, high fat diet. As we were planning our groceries and meals for the first week, I began to reminisce about all the foods we soon would not be enjoying. Rice, potatoes, ooooh- French fries, corn on the cob…CORN ON THE COB. It struck me that I had committed to penning this article, an ode to summer corn on the cob, and I had less than 12 hours to make what I had originally intended to be over a week’s worth of corn to taste. Challenge accepted.

We returned from the grocery store with 8 yellow ears of corn. As I removed them from the bags I realized I had to formulate a plan of attack. So, I dove through my hundreds of Savory Spices to pick the 8 I most wanted to experiment with. Next, I had to establish rules: All 8 ears of corn would be cooked using the same method. They would be partially husked, corn silk removed, smattered with butter and a seasoning, tightly wrapped in foil, and grilled for 30 minutes over medium-low heat.

The spice contestants were:

The Results

Which was the winner? Hands down, Chicharron Salt. It brings out the sweetness of the corn beautifully. The flavors of sweet corn and salty, tangy, meaty goodness dance together on the tongue like star-crossed lovers. It’s the one I would definitely make for guests and parties because it’s so approachable.

My second favorite was Berbere. I love a good spicy seasoning, and Berbere is definitely that. The subtle notes of allspice, ginger, and cardamom with the heat make a warm, exotic tasting corn that I could have had seconds of (if I didn’t have so many others to taste!).

To be honest, I was surprised by the results. Obviously, they all tasted amazing. But, some had a different interaction with the corn than I expected. For example, while I made some life changing zucchini with Hidden Cove the other day, it didn’t pair as well with corn as I thought it would. On the other hand, I wasn’t sure how a Caribbean corn on the cob would turn out and both the Barrier Reef and Jerk seasonings were so good. 

What did I learn? A favorite summer classic like corn on the cob deserves some experimentation and creativity. Try out some different spices and seasonings with your corn and let us know how it goes! 

Need some more direction? You can’t go wrong with our Southwestern, BBQ, and Buffalo style street corn recipes. Seriously, I’ve made all three several times and they are incredible. If you’ve never upgraded to street style corn before, now is the time to do it. 

Do you have a favorite corn on the cob recipe? Let us know in the comments!