It has been said that there is magic in a cornfield. One of the world’s largest crops, legend has it that corn originated through the spirits. Easy to grow, easy to harvest, and easy to store, most of us think of corn as a vegetable. It is, but only when eaten on the cob.

The corn plant, a tall grass, is classified as a cereal grain; its’ botanical name is Zea Mays; “zea” meaning “to live,” and “mays” meaning “mother.” The word maize is thought to have evolved from the Taino people of the Caribbean and their word mahiz, which meant “source of life.” This early designation transmuted to the Spanish maiz, and then to the English maize.

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