Maize or corn has been the basis for many great cultures in the New World including those of the Inca, Maya and Aztec Civilizations.
Corn continues to be the backbone of modern American agriculture.
Coronado found corn to be a major staple of Pueblo Indians on his expedition into the Southwest in 1540. In the past and present, corn is an important element in Native American religious rituals. Although Pueblo tribes planted may different colored corns, blue corn became one of the most important. It was generally dried on rooftops, stored as grain on the cobs, shelled, and ground into meal as needed. Most blue corns grown in the Southwest are typically flour corns.