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The types of corn are sorted by what sits inside the kernel, according to New Mexico State University (NMSU) Extension Guide H-232: the endosperm, the tissue around the embryo that feeds the seed’s growth. NMSU names flint, flour, dent, pop, sweet and waxy as the most common types, with pod corn as a seventh. This guide explains those corn varieties with NMSU and Clemson Cooperative Extension, shows where corn sits in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and compares fresh, frozen and canned sweet kernels and dry corn foods with USDA FoodData Central values. For the vegetable itself, see our sweet corn guide.
Peptide Labs does not sell foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- New Mexico State University Extension classifies corn by kernel endosperm and lists flint, flour, dent, pop, sweet and waxy as the most common types.
- Dent corn has flinty sides and a soft core of starch that collapses, or dents, as the kernel dries, NMSU says, and most of the dent crop in the United States goes into animal feed or exports.
- Popcorns are basically small-kerneled flint-type corns, according to NMSU; heating turns the moisture in their soft center into steam that splits the seed coat.
- Clemson Cooperative Extension describes standard (su), sugar enhanced (se) and supersweet (sh2) sweet types, and says the last two hold their sugar longer after harvest.
- Per 100 grams, USDA lists about 6.3 grams of sugars for raw yellow sweet kernels and 3.2 grams for raw white ones, and 15.1 grams of fiber for popped kernels.
Types of corn by kernel endosperm
Corn, Zea mays, is one of the most diverse grain crops found in nature, New Mexico State University Extension says, and its types are generally classified by the kernel endosperm. NMSU adds that the look of each kernel depends on the pattern, quantity and quality of that endosperm. NMSU places dent between flint and flour corn.
| Corn type | Kernel (NMSU Extension) |
|---|---|
| Dent | Flinty sides and a soft core of starch that collapses, or dents, during drying |
| Flint | Mostly hard, glassy endosperm with a smooth, hard seed coat (pericarp) |
| Flour | Endosperm of soft starch with a thin pericarp |
| Pop | Small-kerneled flint type; hard, flinty endosperm around a little soft, moist starch |
| Sweet | Wrinkled, glassy kernels from a sugary gene that slows the conversion of sugar to starch |
| Waxy | A gene that produces starch made entirely of amylopectin |
| Pod (tunicate) | Each kernel enclosed in its own glume, or husk; little commercial value except as an ornament |
Dent and flint corn varieties
NMSU Extension says most dent corns grown in the United States have yellow endosperms and that most of the crop goes into animal feed or exports, while white dents are popular in human food products because of their whiter starch. Processed dent products include cooking oil and corn grits, meals, flours and starches, according to NMSU. Our guides to cornmeal, grits and polenta cover the milled forms, and our high fructose corn syrup guide covers one sweetener made from corn starch.
Flour corn and blue corn
Flour corn endosperms are made of soft starch with thin pericarps, according to New Mexico State University Extension. NMSU says blue corn and other flour corns have been the main kernel type ground into flour and meals in the American Southwest, although white and yellow dent corns now dominate that market, and that blue corn gets its color from the aleurone layer just below the pericarp. NMSU says blue corn flours and meals are used for tortillas and corn chips; see our tortillas guide.
Popping corn: pearl and rice kernels
Popcorns are basically small-kerneled flint-type corns, New Mexico State University Extension says. NMSU says their hard, flinty endosperm surrounds a little soft, moist starch, and heat turns that moisture into steam, which splits the pericarp and turns the kernel inside out. NMSU sorts popcorns into pearl types, with smooth, rounded crowns, and rice types, with pointed crowns.
Our popcorn guide covers the snack itself, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, list popcorn and whole-grain cornmeal among whole grains, while corn grits and masa appear among refined grains.
Sweet kernels: standard, sugar enhanced and supersweet
Sweet kernels look wrinkled and glassy because a sugary gene retards the normal conversion of sugar to starch, NMSU Extension says, and sweet types are grown mainly to be eaten fresh, not for feed or flour. Clemson Cooperative Extension names the plant Zea mays var. rugosa and describes three groups.
- Standard (su): NMSU says sucrose in standard sweet kernels converts rapidly to starch after harvest, and kernels can lose as much as half of it at room temperature within 24 hours.
- Sugar enhanced (se): Clemson Extension says these hold a higher sugar content longer than standard varieties and need no isolation; NMSU credits the se gene with a creamy texture.
- Supersweet (sh2): Clemson Extension says these hybrids have higher sugar content, slower sugar-to-starch conversion and more tender kernels, but need isolation from standard varieties.
- Color: The Clemson Extension cultivar list sorts sweet types into yellow, white and bicolor.
Clemson Extension says to harvest when the husk is still green, the silks are dry and brown, and the kernels are full size and at milk stage, and to cool the ears immediately because kernels lose sugar rapidly in heat.
Fresh, frozen and canned sweet kernels in USDA data
USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy has yellow and white sweet entries plus frozen and canned forms. The table is per 100 grams, with an SR Legacy portion weight alongside. Each percent Daily Value (%DV) uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children 4 and older: 28 grams of dietary fiber, 50 grams of protein, 4,700 milligrams of potassium, 90 milligrams of vitamin C, 900 micrograms RAE of vitamin A and 2,300 milligrams of sodium. Total sugars have no FDA Daily Value. Rows are ranked by sugars.
| Corn food (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | USDA portion | Calories | Carbohydrate | Sugars | Fiber | Protein | Potassium | Vitamin C | Vitamin A | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet corn, yellow, raw (169998) | 100 g | 1 medium ear, 102 g | 86 | 18.7 g | 6.3 g | 2.0 g (7%) | 3.3 g (7%) | 270 mg (6%) | 6.8 mg (8%) | 9 mcg RAE (1%) | 15 mg (1%) |
| Sweet corn, yellow, boiled, without salt (169999) | 100 g | 1 medium ear, 103 g | 96 | 21.0 g | 4.5 g | 2.4 g (9%) | 3.4 g (7%) | 218 mg (5%) | 5.5 mg (6%) | 13 mcg RAE (1%) | 1 mg (0%) |
| Sweet corn, yellow, canned, whole kernel, drained (169214) | 100 g | 1 cup, 164 g | 67 | 14.3 g | 4.4 g | 2.0 g (7%) | 2.3 g (5%) | 132 mg (3%) | 1.8 mg (2%) | 2 mcg RAE (0%) | 205 mg (9%) |
| Sweet corn, white, raw (168538) | 100 g | 1 medium ear, 90 g | 86 | 19.0 g | 3.2 g | 2.7 g (10%) | 3.2 g (6%) | 270 mg (6%) | 6.8 mg (8%) | 0 mcg RAE (0%) | 15 mg (1%) |
| Sweet corn, yellow, frozen kernels, boiled, without salt (168399) | 100 g | 1 cup, 165 g | 81 | 19.3 g | 3.1 g | 2.4 g (9%) | 2.5 g (5%) | 233 mg (5%) | 3.5 mg (4%) | 10 mcg RAE (1%) | 1 mg (0%) |
Raw yellow sweet kernels list about 6.3 grams of sugars per 100 grams in USDA data, against 3.2 grams for the raw white entry, and the white entry lists 0 micrograms RAE of vitamin A. The canned, drained entry lists about 205 milligrams of sodium per 100 grams in USDA data, against 1 milligram for kernels boiled without salt, so the Nutrition Facts label is the figure to read for a can. SR Legacy has no separate entry for the su, se or sh2 groups; our vitamin C foods list puts these values in context.
Dry corn grain, popped kernels and milled corn in USDA data
The second table uses SR Legacy entries per 100 grams. Each %DV uses the FDA Daily Values above plus 18 milligrams of iron and 420 milligrams of magnesium. Rows are ranked by fiber.
| Corn food (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | USDA portion | Calories | Carbohydrate | Fiber | Protein | Iron | Magnesium | Potassium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Popcorn, air-popped, unsalted (170246) | 100 g | 1 cup, 8 g | 382 | 77.9 g | 15.1 g (54%) | 12.0 g (24%) | 2.7 mg (15%) | 131 mg (31%) | 301 mg (6%) |
| Corn flour, whole-grain, blue (168921) | 100 g | 1 tbsp, 6.9 g | 364 | 73.9 g | 8.4 g (30%) | 8.8 g (18%) | 1.7 mg (10%) | 110 mg (26%) | 381 mg (8%) |
| Corn grain, yellow (170288) | 100 g | 1 cup, 166 g | 365 | 74.3 g | 7.3 g (26%) | 9.4 g (19%) | 2.7 mg (15%) | 127 mg (30%) | 287 mg (6%) |
| Cornmeal, whole-grain, yellow (169697) | 100 g | 1 cup, 122 g | 362 | 76.9 g | 7.3 g (26%) | 8.1 g (16%) | 3.5 mg (19%) | 127 mg (30%) | 287 mg (6%) |
| Cornmeal, degermed, enriched, yellow (168867) | 100 g | 1 cup, 157 g | 370 | 79.5 g | 3.9 g (14%) | 7.1 g (14%) | 4.4 mg (24%) | 32 mg (8%) | 142 mg (3%) |
Per 100 grams, USDA lists about 7.3 grams of fiber for whole-grain yellow cornmeal and 3.9 grams for the degermed, enriched entry, which lists more iron, about 4.4 milligrams. Popped kernels list 15.1 grams of fiber per 100 grams in USDA data, but SR Legacy weighs a cup at 8 grams, so the per-100-gram row covers many cups.
Where corn sits in the Dietary Guidelines
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, list corn among starchy vegetables, and list popcorn and whole-grain cornmeal with the whole-grain examples, so the same plant appears in two food groups depending on the type and form. For the other garden crop in this series, see our types of peas; our types of beans guide covers another seed crop.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main types of corn?
New Mexico State University Extension lists flint, flour, dent, pop, sweet and waxy as the most common types, sorted by kernel endosperm, with pod corn as a seventh type.
What is the difference between dent and flint corn?
NMSU Extension says flint kernels have mostly hard, glassy endosperm, while dent kernels have flinty sides and a soft core of starch that collapses, or dents, during drying.
Is field corn the same corn that is eaten on the cob?
No: NMSU Extension says sweet types are grown mainly for fresh eating, while most dent corn grown in the United States goes into animal feed or exports.
What makes some corn varieties sweeter than others?
Clemson Cooperative Extension says sugar enhanced (se) and supersweet (sh2) varieties have a higher sugar content and hold it longer after harvest than standard (su) varieties.
Why do some corn kernels pop?
NMSU Extension says popping types have a hard, flinty endosperm around soft, moist starch; heat turns the moisture into steam, which splits the seed coat and turns the kernel inside out.
Is blue corn a flour corn?
NMSU Extension groups blue corn with the other flour corns ground into flour and meals in the American Southwest, and says its color comes from the aleurone layer.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a health condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Types of Peas: English, Snow, Snap and Dried Peas, Corn: Nutrition Facts, Sweet Corn vs Popcorn, Is Corn Healthy?, Popcorn: Nutrition Facts, Air-Popped vs Microwave, Is It Healthy?, Types of Grains: Cereal Grains and Pseudocereals.