Sweetcorn gains traction in UK desserts and drinks as part of 'swavoury' trend

"Sweetcorn belongs in desserts!"

That's according to Crystelle Pereira, a cook and former Great British Bake Off finalist known for her wacky flavour combinations.

While sweetcorn is already a staple in South East Asian and Latin American puddings, it has largely been relegated to sandwich fillings and pizza toppings in the UK. But that could all be changing.

In recent weeks, the vegetable has been popping up all over social media in sweet treat form - as an ingredient in everything from cookies and ice cream to cheesecake.

Food trend forecasters say sweetcorn is starting to appear in "some exciting and unexpected guises" on the UK food scene.

It is all part of a wider food trend involving the combination of sweet and savoury flavours we wouldn't traditionally put together, sometimes called the "swavoury" movement, Shokofeh Hejazi of food trend agency thefoodpeople says.

Other examples include combinations like purple sweet potato ice cream, cheesecake with carrot compote, or chocolate bars loaded with salty potato chips.

Both sweetcorn's flavour profile and ability to be blended into a creamy texture makes it a great fit for the trend, says Hejazi.

Pereira says sweetcorn in desserts and drinks is "very slowly easing its way" into the UK food scene.

And she's excited: "I genuinely really think sweetcorn and desserts is just the best thing in the world."

"We've been so used to having sweetcorn in tuna and sweetcorn, we just think it's a savoury ingredient," she says. "But… it's so, so sweet."

Pereira had an "epiphany" when she saw the ingredient being used in sweets on holiday in Thailand last year, where it's common to see sweetcorn used in everything from custard tarts to jellies and ice creams.

Hoping to inspire her UK followers to experiment with the vegetable, she made a sweetcorn latte inspired by a frappé drink she'd had on her trip, using coconut milk, blended sweetcorn and espresso.

"I wanted to show people that it works," she tells me, explaining she thought sweetcorn's similarity to condensed milk would make the combination "more palatable" to a sweetcorn drink novice.

​​Lisa Harris, co-founder of food consultancy Harris & Hayes, says growing interest in sweetcorn is also partly down to the UK's "unstoppable" appetite for South Korean food, which is "changing how we eat".

Pereira has continued to champion corn, recently making a Brazilian lemonade - which uses limes instead of lemons - and pairing it with corn milk.

But Hejazi says its use in drinks and desserts is still "an emerging trend" and hasn't yet hit the mainstream in the UK.

So, is it translating to real-life demand?

We're not yet seeing sweetcorn milk stocked in supermarkets and corn lattes at mainstream coffee chains.

But Natalie TJ, who co-runs an Asian-inspired bakery in London, says her cornmilk matcha drink has been one of the most popular drinks this summer – second only to the bakery's Hong Kong milk tea.

"Many coffee shops in Asia sell corn milk matcha," she says, adding that customers have probably been seeking out the drink at the cafe as it is not as common as other matcha combinations in the UK.

But part-time baker Supreedha Iyer says there is still some confusion among her friends when she presents them with her own sweetcorn-flavoured bakes.

Iyer, who grew up in Malaysia but now lives in London, recently made a version of maritozzi buns – a brioche filled with cream - using sweetcorn, inspired by a bun she ate as a child.

"My Asian friends immediately understood the flavour, while my British friends were much more confused about whether it was supposed to be sweet or savoury," she says. "There was genuine confusion!"

"That does seem to be changing though," she adds. "British bakers are beginning to explore corn more confidently".