Maize

Hi there. I have a secret. I grow super tall, reaching for the big, warm sun with my long, green leaves. I wear a cozy green coat, and when you peek inside, you’ll find my little golden jewels all lined up in rows. Sometimes my jewels are white, red, or even blue. I have silky hair that dances in the wind when you tickle it. Do you know who I am? I am Maize. You might also call me corn.

I was not always so big and yummy. A very, very long time ago, about 9,000 years ago, I was just a tiny wild grass. My name was teosinte, and I lived in a sunny place that is now called Mexico. I only had a few little seeds, and they were very hard. But some very clever people saw that I could be special. They became my first friends. They picked my best seeds and planted them in the soft dirt. With their care, I started to change. Every year I grew a little bigger and a little softer. Soon, I had lots and lots of yummy kernels. I became a super-food that helped all the people in the villages grow strong and healthy.

My yummy seeds traveled from family to family, all across the lands of the Americas. Then, starting in the late 1400s, I went on a big adventure. I sailed on tall ships across the big blue ocean. Soon, I was making new friends all over the world. People loved me. Today, you can find me in so many yummy foods, like crunchy popcorn at the movies, warm tortillas for tacos, and sweet corn on the cob at a picnic. I love being part of your meals and helping you grow. I am a happy gift from a long, long time ago that still feeds the world today.