Riddle: First you throw away the outside, then you cook the inside, then you eat the outside and then you throw away the inside. What am I?
Answer: Corn on the cob
Riddle Explanation + Meaning
This riddle describes the process of preparing and eating corn on the cob.
First, you remove the green husk and silk, which is the "outside" part you don't eat.
Next, you cook the corn, usually by boiling or grilling it.
After it's cooked, you eat the kernels off the cob.
The kernels are the "outside" part you eat after cooking.
Finally, you throw away the cob, which is the "inside" part left over after you've eaten the kernels.
This process of preparing and consuming corn on the cob fits perfectly with the sequence described in the riddle, making it a clever and accurate description of the experience.
Why the answer is corn on the cob
The riddle is a set of instructions in a strange order, and the words "outside" and "inside" keep switching roles. First the outside is thrown away, then later the outside is eaten, which sounds like a contradiction. The trick is that there are two different outsides: the husk you peel off and the kernels you bite. The inside also changes meaning, from the whole ear being cooked to the bare cob left over at the end.
It is hard because most foods follow a simpler pattern: peel, then eat what is inside. Bananas, oranges and eggs all work that way, so solvers often try those first, and each one fails on the last step. Corn on the cob is unusual because you eat around the core instead of into it. A few people suggest a peach or a mango, where you eat the outside and throw away the stone, but those do not have a husk to throw away first.
Where this riddle comes from
This is a classic "what am I" riddle of unknown origin, often found in collections of kitchen and food riddles. It is a sequence riddle, where the clues are steps in a process and the answer is whatever fits every step in order. It works well at the dinner table, especially in summer when corn is in season.
3 more riddles like this one
I have many layers, and when you cut me, you might cry. What am I?
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I have many eyes but cannot see, and I grow under the ground. What am I?
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I am not a pea and I am not a nut, but both words are in my name. What am I?
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How to solve riddles like this
- Write the steps as a list and test each food against every step, in order.
- Notice when the same word, like "outside", seems to mean two different things.
- Think about foods you hold in your hands while eating. They often have parts you throw away.
- Rule out answers by the last step. Many foods fit the first two steps but fail at the end.