Robbed by the Cob

Yesterday I was wandering through the market in Bonn, looking for something to make for dinner. I was in the mood for something summery, but tired of eggplant and zucchini. I didn't want to make yet another salad. I wanted something that could be cooked. What I wanted, I realized, was corn on the cob.

A little while later, in the health food store, I found about 10 ears!

Now, I understand that corn on the cob is not the most popular food in Germany. I suspect that many Germans think of it as pig — not people — food. But, I was amused that, below the corn's label, were instruction to cook it by boiling or grilling.

I don't know if all this talk in the media about farmers growing corn for bio-diesel is true, but I was shocked by the price-per-cob. Just to make sure I wasn't totally remembering everything in the U.S. as being less expensive, I logged on to Fresh Direct, an online grocery store in the New York area, the check the price in the states.

Fresh Direct is selling ears of corn for $0.59. Guess how much I paid in Germany.

1.49 Euros per ear! With the exchange rate, that's $2.34 per ear!!! Per ear!!!

I bought two ears anyway. But at home, over dinner I told Kevin to enjoy. At these prices this is the only time we'll be eating it this summer.