
A corn roaster is a large
grill
Grill or grille may refer to:
Food
* Barbecue grill, a device or surface used for cooking food, usually fuelled by gas or charcoal, or the part of a cooker that performs this function
* Flattop grill, a cooking device often used in restaurants, ...
for cooking large batches of ears of
corn
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...
at the same time. The term "corn roaster" can also refer to a person who roasts corn.
Corn roaster machines have existed in the United States since at least 1900. Corn roasters are used by
concession vendors at
festivals,
fair
A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks.
Types
Variations of fairs incl ...
s, events, parties, and holidays, such as the Fourth of July in the United States.
Roasted corn is a very popular festival food in the American South, Southwest, and Northwest. Corn roasters can also cook foods such as
turkey legs,
potatoes, and
sweet potato
The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...
es. They may also be used by
street food vendors.
Street vendors may operate seasonally, per the seasonality of corn crops.
Some organizations that operate corn roasters at events, such as fairs, donate their proceeds to charities.
Many commercial corn roasters come mounted on a
trailer. The corn roasters use
LPG for fuel. Smaller versions exist, such as rotary corn roasters that can be placed on a table, and some corn roasters are homemade.
Manufacturers
There are several different manufactures who make corn roasters in the
United States. A company that produces corn roasters is Holstein Manufacturing. A brand of corn roaster is named "Roast-O-Matic". Some corn roasters can roast up to 1,200 ears of corn per hour.
Use at events
At the annual
Minnesota State Fair in
Falcon Heights, Minnesota, a group of up to 50 to 55 personnel produces significant quantities of roasted corn, which can vary daily.
This variance can range between 10,000 and 18,000 ears of roasted corn a day.
Approximately 180,000 ears of roasted corn are produced for the duration of the fair.
Roasted corn at the Minnesota State Fair has been described as "one of the fair’s most popular foods for more than 28 years".
At the Yakima Valley Fair in
Yakima, Washington, the Grandview Rotary Club has been operating a corn roaster for 40 years, and donates the proceeds to various local needs.
See also
*
Corn on the cob
Corn on the cob is a culinary term for a cooked :wikt:ear#earofcorn, ear of sweet corn (maize) eaten directly off the corncob, cob. The ear is picked while the endosperm is in the "milk stage" so that the caryopsis, kernels are still tender. E ...
*
List of cooking appliances
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References
External links
{{External media, align=width= , video1
"A Day In The Life Of A Fair Corn Roaster" CBS Minnesota}
How to Start Your Own Corn Roasting Business A guide to making a full year's income in just a few months of summer
Cooking appliances
Barbecue
Amusement park attractions
Fairs