Sweet corn, which in other words can also be called pole corn or sugar corn, is a variety of field corn which is purposely grown for the consumption of human with a high sugar content. Sweet corn occurs as a result of a spontaneous mutation in the genes of field corn, which converts sugar into starch in the endosperm of the kernel. The process of maturity of sweet corn includes the conversion of sugar into starch, because of this sweet corn stores poorly, and must be eaten in fresh, canned and frozen form to prevent the kernels from becoming hard and starchy.

The higher levels of sugar in the sweet corn kernels results in a lower osmotic potential, causing greater water uptake into the kernels. Sweet corn comes in white, yellow and bi-color, and because of its sugar conversion to starch, sweet corn is harvested at the immature milky stage. Sweet corn is specifically consumed by human beings as a vegetable, either directly from the corn cob, or by removing the sweet kernels from the cob.