Maíz

Maize (corn) was domesticated in Mexico from a wild grass called teosinte thousands of years ago and became the foundation of Mesoamerican life. It was eaten as tortillas, tamales, and atole, and grown in the milpa alongside beans, squash, and chili.

Maize also had deep religious meaning: the Maya Popol Vuh tells that humans were formed from maize dough. Wheat, rice, and barley, by contrast, arrived only with the Europeans.