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I've just read a bunch of recipes since I'd never even heard of it. Some restaurant style, some Korean-American, some ideo syncratic. Some say you must use canned corn, some say it must be fresh, some say frozen is the way to go, some don't seem to care. All had mayonnaise. All were different on which and how much of other vegetables, but all were sweet, whether from sugar, kewpie mayo, sweetened canned corn, or whatever. All use mozz. I wonder if fresh mozz or aged (whatever you didn't use) would be the answer—or maybe a combo. Buffalo, maybe? The thing is mozzarella, as you said, is the thing that does this. One recipe said to make sure the mozz melted into the corn, etc., not just crust on top.

Ignoring the whole ”supposed to” thing, Swiss (emmenthaller or gruyere) melts well and has more flavor, but is not so good at the roasty toasty, and especially emmenthaller can break. Havarti is also great melted, and can also break. Deli style American would work, if you like the flavor, and it's also good combined with one of the previous (I'm not sure that powdered sodium citrate would work). You did shred or cut your own cheese, right? if not, try that not to have the stabilizers. A lot of the recipes did small dice of plain ol’ rubber pizza mozz.

Good luck!

Could someone explain because we don't get much exotic food here LOL What is Korean about those ingredients?

It's Korean-American. Korean because it's served in Korean restaurants in the USA. Most ethnic communities here have popular dishes which were made of local, usually inexpensive, food, which are easy to make and sell. Basic business acumen. Lots easier to sell cheesy corn to American neighbors than raw, fermented skate. :)

I agree that a stringy melted mozzarella doesn't sound good. I think I would try American or Hoop cheese, if I could find it. I've only had Hoop cheese once but I remember it melting like a dream........ Alternatively, I'd switch it to cream cheese and eliminate most or all of the mayo, thereby changing the dish completely. :)

Thank you for the info. I can understand the desire to eat cheesy corn. Yum. Just confused about the Korean aspect. I had a look at Korean food. I don't think I'll be going there on holiday..... I thought I was open to most food but..... some things I can't, like kimchi. Perhaps I haven't tasted any good stuff.

Quality mozz should melt nicely and mingle with the corn. I bought some mozz here that was marked pizza and it was the strangest plasticky stuff. Sat like a solid coating on the pizza. Deeply upsetting LOL. Stir a little marscapone in with the corn and finely chop the mozz. I'll have to give it a try but I won't be adding the sugar! I found this recipe. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021553-korean-corn-cheese

Maybe try smoked provolone?

I've never come across it so i did similar quick searches. Then googled 'Korean Corn Cheese History'. Some say it was introduced in SouthKorea with American troops bringing canned goods, Spam meat product, and shelf stable cheese. One blogger recipe said she had it growing up in Korea.

If it is a recent social media thing, fresh corn would be prefered over a can. We have it all summer from local farm stands picked that morning, across the country.

My mother made similar after a weekend outdoor BBQ for an easy early weeknight meal. A baked casserole using a layer of pasta salad, then topped with a corn sucotash. Extra cheese, then baked bubbly. We liked it better than the BBQ sides. Kids love cheesy.

I always assumed it came from one of her Ladies magazines popular in the late 60's/early 70's.

Fresh style mozzarellas do get gooey if cut small or torn and tucked in. Like the toppings on certain pizza styles. I would like ricotta over mayo. More vegetables like summer squashes. Has a deconstructed summer lasagna vibe. But then it is far from the recipes as written. No as well to all the added sugars.

I've met friends for lunches at many KoreanTown restaurants and have never come across it.

Some pizza joints use the cheap low-moisture, part skim mozzarella....not much flavor. We prefer fresh torn whole milk style.

I looked up the recipe that I've used for Cheesy Corn a few times and it had half Cheddar and half Velveeta. It turned out very much like the Cheesy corn offered in several of the KC BBQ joints. I'm not a big fan but will eat a few spoonfulls. I prefer other sides with my Q.

Houzz not posting my responses

If I were to make it, I would use cheddar and Monterey Jack and omit the sugar. I think it should also have gochugaru (Korean chili flakes).

When I make grits, I add frozen corn, red bell pepper, celery, jalapeño (or chile de árbol), Italian sausage, and cheddar cheese to it, as well as eggs and Cajun seasoning plus sage and bake it like a casserole. It reheats well, and I often have this for breakfast.

Remove your NYT cookies if you want to see the recipe online again.

Interesting history! I didn't find that, but it makes sense. The Korean ones I had found made it sound like it was an imported American dish, rather than imported American ingredients, but the latter sounds right. ETA: And it further makes sense why some insist it has to be canned corn! Which is likely where the sweet originated.

PM, hoop cheese used to be the most common cheese because the shopkeepers made it on site. The industry has never found a good way to automate the process so it's nigh on impossible to get anymore. You can mail order the orange, aged version from a few places in the South and Midwest. If you have an immersion circulater (as in for sous vide), a four litre contaner and a larger cooler chest it fits in, as well as access to fresh, nonultrapasteurized or irradiated milk, it's easy to make the fresh white kind. Let me know if you want the recipe, I make it for blintzes.

My bucket list for travel is shrinking. Thialand and Japan at the top of the list. Not Korea or China. (Don't tell my friend that met his Korean wife ten years ago at NYU.)

She did have a good hearty chuckle when he told her i make Kimchi.

--i make quick kimch like quick pickles. Fresher and less stinky fermented.

My local Korean market has its own refridgerated kimchi section. A dozen or more made 'in-house' and many commercially made. 4-5 dozen?.

(why i started making my own)

Two i like commercially...on the right is now at Costco. Recent house guests loved both. I did not have time to make my own but made Kraut and two shaved fresh slaws.

Most commercial brands will say on the label how fermented/'funky' they are.

I would use a sharp cheddar and skip the mayo.