Maize Genomics and Genetics 2025, Vol.16, No.3, 149-166 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/mgg 155 structure makes the kernels have a special sticky taste after being cooked. Although the soluble sugar in the fresh kernels of glutinous corn varieties is not as high as that of sweet corn (generally only 2% to 5% of small molecule sugars), its starch is soft and sticky after gelatinization, without residue, and is suitable for steaming or baking (Zhang et al., 2017). Sweet and glutinous corn contains mutant genes of both sweet corn and glutinous corn. The kernels contain a certain amount of sugar and are mainly glutinous starch. It is a new category of breeding innovation in recent years. Sweet and glutinous corn has the advantages of both sweetness and stickiness. It is usually sweet and juicy when eaten raw, and soft, sticky and sweet when cooked (Wu et al., 2023). For example, varieties such as 'Lutiannuo 191' that are both sweet and glutinous have a ratio of 1: 3 between sweet and glutinous grains on the cob. The sweet grains are sweet and the glutinous grains are moderately sticky, achieving a balance between flavor and texture. 'Zhencaitiannuo 608' is a double-color sweet and glutinous corn, with purple and white grains, which are both sweet and glutinous, and rich in nutrients. Through indoor quality analysis, the sucrose and total soluble sugar content of some sweet corn varieties (such as 'Jinyin 208') is significantly higher than that of glutinous corn varieties, while the amylopectin content and amylose/amylopectin ratio of glutinous corn varieties (such as 'Meiyu 25') are significantly lower than those of sweet corn varieties. This is consistent with the conclusions of existing studies: sweet corn has good flavor sweetness due to the obstruction of starch synthesis caused by mutant genes, and the accumulation of sugars is increased; glutinous corn has no amylose at all, so it is thick and not hard after cooking, and has good glutinous properties. It should be noted that sweetness and stickiness are in a trade-off relationship among different varieties, that is, sweet corn is sweeter but not sticky, sticky corn is sticky but not sweet enough, and sweet and sticky varieties are in between. Therefore, for fresh consumption, diversified provision of sweet, sticky, and sweet and sticky varieties can meet the preferences of different consumers. The introduced new varieties have reached the standard of high-quality varieties of fresh corn in terms of quality chemical indicators: the proportion of amylopectin in sticky corn is more than 70%, and the soluble sugar content of sweet corn is significantly higher than that of ordinary corn. This provides strong support for its success in the market with flavor. 4.2 Sensory evaluation of appearance and taste In order to more intuitively compare the edible quality of new varieties, the appearance and taste of the cobs of each variety were sensory evaluated. The evaluation indicators include cob appearance (size and shape, grain arrangement and color), taste (tenderness, amount of skin residue), flavor (fragrance and sweetness intensity), etc., each item is scored, and the total score of sensory quality is obtained comprehensively. The results show that the sensory quality of different fresh corn varieties is significantly different, among which some new varieties show excellent sensory quality, with scores much higher than those of the control varieties. In the sensory evaluation of the Linhai City trial, 'Jinyin 208' had the highest comprehensive score of 85 points; 'Caitiannuo 168' had a total score of 81 points, 'Zhetian 19' had a score of 78 points, and 'Meiyu 25' had a score of 78 points, all of which were significantly better than the control 'Caitiannuo 617' (70 points). 'Jinyin 208' is a sweet corn variety with symmetrical and full ears, bright green bracts tightly wrapped, golden and shiny grains, and its appearance score ranks among the best; after steaming and tasting, 'Jinyin 208' has thin and tender grains, full juice, rich sweetness and little residue, and excellent taste evaluation (tenderness score is close to full marks), which is the main reason for its highest total sensory score. 'Caitiannuo 168' is a sweet and glutinous colored corn with an ornamental appearance of purple and white, large ears, and beautiful color. It received high scores in both appearance and flavor. The judges reported that it tastes sweet and fragrant when steamed. 'Zhetian 19' (sweet corn) and 'Meiyu 25' (glutinous corn) each have their own strengths: the former has good sweetness, thin and crispy skin, and the latter has good glutinousness and a fragrant and palatable taste. They are both top-notch in their respective types. In contrast, the control 'Caitiannuo 617', although both sweet and glutinous, may have a thick skin and average flavor, so it ranked last. In addition to subjective scores, some objective quality indicators also verify the excellent quality of the new varieties. For example, the test shows that the skin residue rate (the proportion of residue after chewing) of high-quality sweet corn varieties is significantly lower than that of ordinary varieties; the gelatin consistency (intuitive glutinous index) of sticky corn varieties is significantly higher than that of ordinary corn. Similar results
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