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Ingredient

Maize

Cereal Grains, Pseudocereals and Pasta

The staple grain of Mesoamerican and, after the Columbian Exchange, much of world cuisine, known as corn in North American usage. Domesticated from the wild grass teosinte, it underlies the tortilla and tamale traditions of Mexican cuisine and, ground and processed with alkali (nixtamalization), was the nutritional base of pre-Columbian civilizations across the Americas. Maize was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago, and Native Americans planted it alongside beans and squashes in the Three Sisters polyculture. Since the Columbian exchange its total production has surpassed that of wheat and rice, although its protein is low in some essential amino acids.

Facts
Disputed
Earliest Documented Use, From (Year)
7000 BCE to 5000 BCE 1
Genetic and archaeobotanical studies converge on the Balsas River valley of southern Mexico as the domestication site, but estimates of the exact date range across roughly two millennia depending on method, so a range is given rather than a single year.
Origin Region
The Balsas River valley, southern Mexico 1
Connections

Associated With

Expresses Tradition

Source On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the KitchenHarold McGee

Used By

Ajiaco, Dishes
Source American Cuisine (Wikipedia)
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Source Banku (Wikipedia)
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Source Wikipedia, Gachas
Source Galician Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Githeri, Dishes
Source Githeri (Wikipedia)
Source Guatemalan Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Humita, Dishes
Source Wikipedia: Humita
Kenkey, Dishes
Source Kenkey (Wikipedia)
Locro, Dishes
Source Locro (Wikipedia)
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Mole Poblano, Dishes
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Moonshine, Drinks
Source Mozambican Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Nacatamal, Dishes
Source Nacatamal - Wikipedia
Source Nicaraguan Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Source Nixtamalization (Wikipedia)
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Pone (food), Dishes
Source Pone (food) (Wikipedia)
Pozole, Dishes
Pupusa, Dishes
Source Pupusa (Wikipedia)
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Source Salvadoran Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Source A Taste of South African Barbecue (Smithsonian Magazine)Amanda Fiegl
Source Swiss Cuisine (Wikipedia)

The corn tortilla the meat is served on.

Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Tamale, Dishes
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Ugali, Dishes
Source Ugali (Wikipedia)
Source Venezuelan Cuisine (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Originated In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.

Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidsontier 1
Sources
1. The Oxford Companion to Food
Alan Davidson, Oxford University Press, 2014
  • entry: Maize
    maize Zea mays, one of the most important cereal crops in the world
  • Used By: Mole Poblano
  • Used By: Tacos al Pastor
Wikidata: Maize
Wikidata Q11575, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Maize (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Wikipedia, Maize, Lead section, domestication
    Maize was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native Americans planted it alongside beans and squashes in the Three Sisters polyculture.
  • Wikipedia, Maize, Lead section, spread and production
    Since the Columbian exchange, it has become a staple food in many parts of the world, with the total production of maize surpassing that of wheat and rice.
  • Wikipedia, Maize, Lead section, protein and niacin
    Maize protein is low in some essential amino acids, and the niacin it contains only becomes available if freed by alkali treatment.
View the Source
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
Harold McGee, Scribner, 2004Expresses Tradition: Nixtamalization, ch. on cereal grains and pasta, maize
Larousse Gastronomique
Hamlyn, 2009
  • Used By: Mexican Cuisine, entry: Maize
  • Used By: Peruvian Cuisine, entry: Maize
  • Used By: Romanian Cuisine, entry: Maize
  • Used By: Chilean Cuisine, entry: Maize
A Taste of South African Barbecue (Smithsonian Magazine)
Amanda Fiegl, Smithsonian Magazine, 2010Used By: South African CuisineView the Source
Nixtamalization (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUsed By: Nixtamalization, Lead section
Quote, Used By: Nixtamalization, Lead section
a process for the preparation of maize (corn), or other grain, in which the grain is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution.
View the Source
Pupusa (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUsed By: Pupusa, Introduction
Quote, Used By: Pupusa, Introduction
A pupusa is a thick griddle cake or flatbread from El Salvador and Honduras made with cornmeal or rice flour stuffed with one or more ingredients including cheese, beans, chicharrón, or squash.
View the Source
Tamale (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUsed By: Tamale, Infobox main_ingredient field: Corn (maize) masa, banana leaves, corn husksView the Source
Kenkey (Wikipedia)
Used By: Kenkey, Infobox main_ingredient field: Ground cornView the Source
Wikipedia: Humita
Used By: Humita, Infobox main_ingredient field: Maize, maize huskView the Source
Wikipedia, Gachas
Used By: Gachas, Infobox main_ingredient field: Wheat flour, grass pea flour or corn flourView the Source
Ogi (food) (Wikipedia)
Used By: Ogi (food), Infobox main_ingredient field: Maize, sorghum or milletView the Source
Githeri (Wikipedia)
Used By: Githeri, Infobox main_ingredient field: Maize, red beans, black beans, maize, lima beans, butter, saltView the Source
Corn on the cob (Wikipedia)
Used By: Corn on the cob, Infobox main_ingredient field: Maize (corn)View the Source
Locro (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUsed By: Locro, Infobox food/dish main_ingredient fieldView the Source
Nacatamal - Wikipedia
Used By: Nacatamal, Infobox food/dish main_ingredient fieldView the Source
Wikipedia, Pinole
Used By: Pinole, infobox main_ingredient field
Quote, Used By: Pinole, infobox main_ingredient field
Maize and cacao
View the Source
Ugali (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUsed By: Ugali, Infobox main_ingredient field: Maize meal (also known as mielie meal, or ground white maize)View the Source
American Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: American Cuisine, Wikipedia article text
Quote, Used By: American Cuisine, Wikipedia article text
Many practiced a form of agriculture revolving around the Three Sisters, the rotation of beans, maize, and squash as staples of their diet.
View the Source
Swiss Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Swiss Cuisine, Wikipedia article text
Quote, Used By: Swiss Cuisine, Wikipedia article text
Probably the most significant changes occurred after colonization of the Americas and the introduction of now-widely used ingredients such as potatoes, maize, and cocoa.
View the Source
Guatemalan Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Guatemalan Cuisine, Wikipedia article text
Quote, Used By: Guatemalan Cuisine, Wikipedia article text
Most traditional foods in Guatemalan cuisine are based on Maya cuisine, with Spanish influence, and prominently feature corn, chilies and beans as key ingredients.
View the Source
Galician Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Galician Cuisine, Wikipedia article text
Quote, Used By: Galician Cuisine, Wikipedia article text
Agricultural products such as potatoes, maize, and wheat are also staples in the Galician diet, along with dairy and meat products from cattle, sheep, and pigs; Galicia's grasses are green year-round and are excellent for grazing.
View the Source
Salvadoran Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Salvadoran Cuisine, Lead section
Quote, Used By: Salvadoran Cuisine, Lead section
Many of the dishes are made with maize (corn). There is also heavy use of pork and seafood.
View the Source
Ecuadorian Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Ecuadorian Cuisine, Lead section
Quote, Used By: Ecuadorian Cuisine, Lead section
In the mountainous regions pork, chicken, beef and cuy (guinea pig) are popular and are often served with rice, maize, or potatoes.
View the Source
Nicaraguan Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Nicaraguan Cuisine, Lead section
Quote, Used By: Nicaraguan Cuisine, Lead section
Western Nicaraguan cuisine revolves around the Mesoamerican diet of the Chorotega and Nicarao people such as maize, tomatoes, avocados, turkey, squash, beans, chili, and chocolate
View the Source
Venezuelan Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Venezuelan Cuisine, Lead section
Quote, Used By: Venezuelan Cuisine, Lead section
Food staples include corn, rice, plantains, yams, beans and several meats.
View the Source
Banku (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUsed By: Banku, Lead section
Quote, Used By: Banku, Lead section
a slightly fermented cooked mixture of maize and cassava doughs
View the Source
Bhutanese Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Bhutanese Cuisine, Lead paragraph
Quote, Used By: Bhutanese Cuisine, Lead paragraph
Other staples include buckwheat and increasingly maize.
View the Source
Mozambican Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Used By: Mozambican Cuisine, Article text
Quote, Used By: Mozambican Cuisine, Article text
They retain some presence, though maize has largely displaced them as a staple food over the last few decades.
View the Source
Pone (food) (Wikipedia)
Used By: Pone (food), Lead paragraph
Quote, Used By: Pone (food), Lead paragraph
Pone could be made with corn, or some other main ingredient could be used like sweet potato.
View the Source
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