The Mayans believed that they were created by gods who added their own blood to flour made from corn, a plant native to their Central American homelands. Thus, they were children of the corn, and along with gods personified by the fierce jaguar and the life-giving rain, they worshipped the tall grass that fed them. In fact, it was their skill as farmers that allowed the Mayans to prosper. Reliable crops of corn, squash, and beans provided enough food for the Mayan population to grow and for some residents to specialize in new skills, unburdened by the need to tend the fields. Corn was one of the Mayan's favorite foods, and it also formed the backbone of Mayan cuisine. At least three-fourths or more of the Mayan's food was corn in some form. They made tortillas, a kind of cornmeal pancake, tamales,and atole, a hot breakfast drink. Corn was so important to early Mayans that he believed his creator had made the first man out of corn. The Mayan's also worshipped a corn god to ensure a good harvest. A form of corn was eaten at every Mayan meal. Corn is linked to the very source of creation itself, for when the Gods decided to form the world, they prepared different brews from corn which were to provide strength and substance to their creation. The Mayans considered their sacred plant a wholly medicinal food - when suffering from severe illness they would eliminate all other foods from the diet and let corn alone nourish the person back to health - so his flesh and blood could be renewed like it was when the Gods created the first man and the first woman. To a Mayan Indian, corn is one of the most important things in their lives. A quote from the book, Cognitive Studies of Southern Mesoamerica, by Nuenswander & Arnold illustrates this: "It to corn produces the greatest share of food from local domesticates, and occupies a symbolic and sacred status among many Indian groups." Basically their whole life revolved around corn. Check out this website:

http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/Mexican_Food_Cooking/mexican_food_maize_corn.html

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