Glacial, the white sweet corn redefining taste and texture
A supersweet white sweet corn is making waves in Europe.
It’s sweeter than a peach and perfectly tender. This is Glacial, a white sweet corn that looks as good as it tastes.
Already popular in the US and Asia, Glacial is now tempting European growers seeking exceptional eating quality, extended shelf life, and visual appeal. It also meets consumer demand for healthy snacks that taste great but have no added sugar.
Glacial is a supersweet white sweet corn which performs well in diverse climates and temperatures.
Glacial is a supersweet white sweet corn which performs well in diverse climates and temperatures.
Klaudia Borbola, Product Development Specialist at Syngenta, tells the Glacial story.
“We wanted to bring something really innovative, something really new, to show the potential of sweet corn in Europe. The story goes back a few years when we had a trial in Hungary where we do our stress-trialing to identify resilient varieties of sweet corn to bring to market.
“At that point, hundreds of hybrids [new plant varieties created by cross-pollinating two parent plants to combine their desirable traits] were trialed. There was one that stood out because of its remarkable taste, sweetness and texture. That was Glacial. And it was a white sweet corn.
"At that time, none of us had ever tasted a white sweet corn. It’s not something you have in Europe. In the United States, people are more accustomed to it, they eat white and bicolor sweet corn a lot. With Glacial, it blew our mind because not only did it look great, it tasted so sweet too.”
Taste the difference
In a field less than an hour’s drive from Amsterdam, visitors to Syngenta’s 2025 Fields of Innovation were able to taste Glacial for themselves. Over three days, growers from dozens of countries wandered through row upon row of vegetables, including sweet corn.
In the Glacial section of the field, tall stalks rustled in the wind. Klaudia was on hand to tell growers more about the development of this new variety.
“We checked the Brix, which is a measure used to determine sweetness, and the eating experience was like biting into a ripe peach. And it’s not just the sweetness, it’s the soft texture.
“So, we immediately knew that we had something special. But the challenge was the color, because people don’t understand why it’s white. We started to show it in our internal field trials to customers and to our colleagues, and everyone loved it. And in all our demo days, that was the one field which was empty because people couldn’t stop eating it, even if they’d never eaten sweet corn before.”
When it comes to sweet corn, color doesn’t influence taste – it’s the genetics that control the eating experience. Color differences are purely a response to consumer demand in different countries and are produced through traditional breeding techniques. And while Glacial isn’t Syngenta’s only white sweet corn, its special characteristics single it out, in particular its flavor.
Klaudia says: “Glacial has such a superior eating experience with a flavor that’s unique. It is special because of the sweet taste.”
Glacial is distinguished by its pearl white hue, large ears, and vibrant kernels. It performs well in diverse temperatures and climates. In addition, it is noted for its durability which allows the cobs to retain freshness for up to two weeks when properly refrigerated, meaning that its market availability is extended and spoilage is minimized – all good news for growers.
A healthy snacking alternative
Thanks to growing consumer demand for better taste, tenderness, and food with no added sugar, Klaudia and her colleagues are confident that Glacial will have a wide appeal as it becomes better known in Europe where white sweet corn is unusual.
In the US, however, white sweet corn has been around for years and is particularly popular in California and the East Coast. Glacial itself was developed more than a decade ago.
With its exceptional taste and texture, Glacial is perfect for healthy snacking and a wide variety of delicious recipes.
With its exceptional taste and texture, Glacial is perfect for healthy snacking and a wide variety of delicious recipes.
Glenn McKay, Product Specialist - Sweet Corn at Syngenta, says: “Sweet corn is very much a staple in the American diet, it’s a primary vegetable. In the US, the popularity of white sweet corn is regional and is around 10-15 percent of the total sweet corn market. Regarding Glacial, it has been a particular success in markets where white sweet corn didn’t exist before, such as Asia.”
In Europe, customers can buy Glacial during the summer in Sweden, Ukraine, and Israel. And growers have been trialing Glacial in other countries, including Poland, Spain, Switzerland, and Germany.
Already popular in the US and Asia, white sweet corn varieties like Glacial are finding fans in Europe.
Already popular in the US and Asia, white sweet corn varieties like Glacial are finding fans in Europe.
“Glacial is our sweetest sweet corn variety,” says Klaudia. “I think the challenge is to convince the end consumer to pick up the white sweet corn in the retailer, and that’s what we are working on…the juiciness and sweetness when you bite into it is such a surprise.”
She adds: “Glacial is for growers who are keen to differentiate themselves and explore new solutions, and it’s for retailers who are targeting customers with a more diverse product offering.”
Klaudia Borbola, Product Specialist at Syngenta shares more insights on Glacial, our white sweet corn.
