Corn Shouldn't Be Food, But It Is

Corn is a staple crop found in many foods, yet it wasn't always edible. Originating from teocinte, a grass in Mexico, corn underwent significant genetic changes to become a major food source. Ancient Mesoamericans cultivated it for its sweet stalks, later focusing on kernels. They developed nixtamalization, a process enhancing corn's nutritional value, crucial for its role in diets. Without it, corn's nutrients remain largely inaccessible, leading to deficiencies like pellagra. This transformation highlights the importance of human intervention in making corn a global staple.

What role did ancient agriculturalists play in the development of modern corn?

What nutritional problems did nixtamalization solve for corn?

How did the introduction of corn to Europe lead to health issues?