Flour corn is the class most used for human food, especially in South America and Africa where it is a staple . The endosperm of flour corn is very starchy and soft. The starch in this form is called grits. Whole grits are used in foods like porridge, breakfast cereals, corn chips and beer. Grits are also ground into cornflour, which is a good thickening agent, used in cakes, custard powder, breads, biscuits and pastries.
Sweet corn is grown for sale as a whole vegetable and for canned or frozen corn products.
This is the type that we buy fresh from grocery stores, boil or steam and smear with butter. Popcorn kernels are dark yellow, with a very hard endosperm. When heated, they burst into soft white edible bubbles. Like sweet corn, they are often served with butter. Flint corn is similar to dent corn but higher in protein and easier to digest.