The corn has been of great importance in Mexico since the times of Prehispanic tribes. This relevance is related not only to its nutritious value but, more importantly, to its sacred and traditional character. In the daily cuisine of Mexicans, this ingredient is as ubiquitous as bread in Poland, pasta in Italy or rice in Chinese cuisine. Mexican tortillas, which are made of corn flour, constitute the basic ingredient of everyday Mexican dishes! But it's just the only one of many forms of eating this delicious vegetable...
In Mexico, there are sixty four types of corn in total, which differ in terms of color, size and taste. For example, there are big and small cobs with very tiny or large kernels, which can be white, yellow, blue, red or purple. The extraordinary thing is a hybrid cob that consists of colorful grains!
The Mayan legend says that after an unsuccessful attempt to create a man from mud and then from wood, the gods decided to mold a man from the mass of corn. The last version turned out to be a perfect creature. However, the Aztec legend says a different story. According to Aztec tradition, one of their most important gods, Quetzalcóatl, transformed into an ant, which brought Aztecs a grain of corn. Later, they decided to sow the kernel. Since that moment, this plant became very important for them making them strong and happy.
This valuable vegetable has survived to these days and it still constitutes a part of contemporary Mexicans’ lives. They have many dishes such as atole, pozole or tamales, which contain corn being one of the most essential ingredients of Mexican cuisine.
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