The Colorful Tale of Mexico's A-maize-ing Grain

This might sound corny, but the relationship between maize and humanity is essential. We rely on corn—globally, more maize is grown than wheat or rice—and, in turn, corn is utterly dependent on us, to the extent that it's lost the ability to reproduce without our help. But corn's wild ancestor is such an unappetizing weed that, for decades, archaeologists couldn't believe today's juicy cobs were all descended from it. From this unpromising beginning, we've got a story that involves empires, vampires, and generations of women chained to the (literal) grindstone. Pass the popcorn and settle in as we explore the past, present, and future of corn—and the many delicious ways Mesoamericans have invented to get their daily dose of vitamin T(ortilla). Plus: do blue and yellow corn chips actually taste different? And what does it mean for your relationship status if you can't get a tortilla to puff? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You can listen to The Colorful Tale of Mexico's A-maize-ing Grain online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The Colorful Tale of Mexico's A-maize-ing Grain is an episode from Gastropod by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley.

This episode is 50:56 long.

This episode was published on Jul 22, 2025.

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