HISTORY OF CORN

BEFORE AND AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA

A plant known and already cultivated throughout Central America, especially by the Mayans who used the dried or boiled corn kernels, and who first realized the flour, coking it just as we do today with the polenta.

Corn has been known for thousands of years in some areas of Mexico, it was the staple food of Maya and was cultivated not only in fields but also in the valleys and on rocky slopes. It was prepared and consumed in many different ways, such as tortillas or tamales and  for the preparation of “atole”, a hot drink. 
Essential to the survival of the Mesoamerican civilizations, maize had a leading role also in mythology, religion and ritual ceremonies. Aztecs, Mayans and Incas were giving thousands of tons of corn to the Emperor Montezuma.

It is not strange that the fourth of eighteen months of the ancient Aztec calendar is devoted to corn. Religious rites related to the various phases of its planting, harvesting and roasting testify the importance that the gold grains were having in the eating habits of these ancient peoples. To which we could add the semi-nomadic tribes of North and SouthAmerica, also the Chileans and Argentines and some Caribbean populations.

Columbus was thus the first  to import corn in Europe.

Although the writings of some historians say that the Scandinavian sailors were the first to load corn on their vessels during long transoceanic explorations. From America to Europe the leap of corn in our continent was very rapid.

Already in 1525 its use had spread to Spain and Portugal. In Italy the area of Campania was the first to adopt this type of cultivation, then followed by Veneto and Emilia.

Maize entered the Italian food tradition giving rise to what is usually called "the polenta civilization."

Maize, in the rural tradition of not long time ago, was not only a valuable food but about the only thing there was to eat.