Maize, which originated in Mexico, was domesticated through a long process that lasted more than ten thousand years. It was during this same process that agriculture developed in Mesoamerica.
Mexico boasts the greatest diversity of corn species, with 64 that are native to this country, out of the 220 that can be found in all Latin America.
Legend tells that before the arrival of Quetzalcóatl, the Aztecs ate only roots and animals they could hunt, but they could not find maize as it was hidden behind the mountains. When they finally presented their problem to Quetzalcóatl, concerned about his people, he took the shape of a small black ant, and set on a journey towards the mountains, accompanied by a red ant. After many hardships, he found this maize. Still in the shape of an ant, he took a ripe kernel and began the journey back. He then presented the promised grain to the Aztecs, who planed the seed. From then on, they grew and harvested this crop, and the precious grains brought them wealth and happiness. From that moment on, the Aztexas revered the generous Quetzalcóatl, as the god who brought them maize.