Maize

Maize or corn has it roots from Mexico some 9,000 years ago. The Mayan people believed that the gods created man from maize dough. Through this belief, the Mayan people gave maize a divine status for centuries and were reluctant to sell it; selling maize would have been like trading in their own flesh. Maize had strong implications on the role of men and women. Before a man could be taken seriously, he had to demonstrate that he could farm the sacred plant. Women were expected to know how to properly make maize dough and the foodstuff, which used maize dough, such as tortillas. Only then could men and women take positions of responsibility in the community and marry. As time went on, maize made its way into South America 4,000 years ago and then up to North America. Later, the Portuguese brought the grain and introduced it to the African diet and then to Europe. Today maize is grown all over the world.