This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
Long consumed in the form of flour, corn has become a seasonal vegetable, firmly anchored in our festive traditions.
Soils rich in limestone, a microclimate linked to the proximity of the river, conditions conducive to early vegetables: along Route 138, in the small municipality of Neuville, seven producers share a little over a hundred hectares on which they cultivate corn whose reputation is well established.
Médé Langlois is one of them. His family has been producing corn there for over 350 years. At the time, it was consumed in the form of flour or semolina, and not as a vegetable. The region, which was already known for the particular quality of its corn, was considered the colony’s granary. Since then, eleven generations have succeeded one another on the farm. Today, brothers Médé and Daniel run the family business, with their wives (Emelie and Nina), their father (Fernand), their mother (Murielle), their sister (Nathalie) and their aunt (Danielle).
“We started selling sweet corn on the side of the road in the 1950s,” the farmer says. “The village cannery had closed, and several producers had surplus corn to eat as a vegetable. My great-aunt had the idea of setting up a small table on the side of the road.”
Over the next few decades, the practice spread, and the reputation of Neuville’s fresh corn grew beyond the municipality’s borders. “Even back then, there was so much traffic at the farm! It was chaos at the store,” recalls Médé Langlois with a smile. “Even today, people travel from all over Quebec to buy corn in Neuville.”
From seedlings to direct sales
According to Médé Langlois, the reputation of this exceptional corn comes from the terroir. “We grow the same varieties as everywhere else in Quebec, but, as with grapes, it’s the terroir that makes the difference.” A difference that the protected geographical indication (PGI) “Maïs sucré de Neuville” — the only one in the province for corn — came to support in 2017.
The PGI is also associated with unique know-how: the ears are picked every day before they ripen too much, under the same principle as small early vegetables that are harvested very early in the season to keep their crunchiness. At the Langlois et Fils farm, the downgraded corn, slightly mushy, is used to feed the dairy cows, whose manure is used to naturally fertilize the fields. The use of trichogramma — natural predators that attack the eggs of the European corn borer — helps minimize the use of insecticides.
To have young corn from mid-July to the end of October, producers sow different varieties (early, mid-season, late) every week starting in April. “Here, the climate of the river allows producers to start the season a little earlier and end it a little later than elsewhere in the region.”
There are even several microclimates within the production area. “Some producers are lucky enough to have small pebbles in their soil that trap heat during the day and release it at night. This allows them to plant the corn four or five days before everyone else. But here, we are really talking about very small plots,” he explains.
Beyond Neuville
The importance of sweet corn in Quebec culture of course extends beyond the borders of this small territory. According to the Association des producteurs maraîchers du Québec, across the province, there are more than 600 companies that grow corn intended to be consumed as a fresh or processed vegetable. The region with the most producers is Montérégie, followed far behind by Chaudière-Appalaches and the Capitale-Nationale region.
Some associate the corn roast tradition with colonization—as was the custom, a red ear of corn was hidden among the others and the person who came across it would kiss the person of their choice. Others, like Médé, place its origins more on the First Nations side. It is said that the latter gathered in the fall to strip the corn for flour and put it out to dry for the winter.
As to whether this tradition is typical of our country, Médé Langlois hesitates: “In North America, I don’t think that Quebecers are the only ones to do this, but one thing is certain: European tourists who come to our country don’t know about corn roasts.”
“There are so many ways to eat corn,” he adds. “I like to shuck it and cook it in water. I put the cobs in cold water and, as soon as the water starts to boil, I count seven to eight minutes, no more. Then I add lots of butter to encourage dairy farmers!”
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This content was produced by the Special Publications Team of Dutyrelevant to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part in it.