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MAIZE CULTURE
“We are the man of the maize, and our tortilla remains the bread, plate and spoon of Mexican cuisine.”
Mexico’s mythology provides a beautifully written account of how the gods of different cultures discovered corn. According to legend, the gods responsible for Mexico’s corn culture are Quetzalcoatl (known as the “maize god” because he discovered maize); Centéotl; Centeocihuatl (the sweet corn goddess and goddess of ripe corn); Xilonen; and the fertility goddess Tlazolteotl—all part of the Aztec culture. Mythology also describes Yum Kax, the maize god of the Mayan culture who came from the region of Quiché (Guatemala today), and the divine grandmother goddess Ixmucane, who created humans from maize. The stories of the Popol Vuh, the Mayan story of creation, tell how they speak of water, air, land, forest, animals, the sea and the sky, of their feelings of nobility, humility, loyalty and love. Because of our history with the gods of maize, we are committed to making tortillas with the aroma, flavor and quality they left us. Books by Miguel Leon Portilla and Miguel Angel Asturias include more in-depth information about the maize culture.
—Information provided by Manuel Villagomez Rodriguez, Director of Grupo Villamex, SA de CV, makers of small machines to make corn tortillas and wheat flour tortillas without preservatives for restaurants and industrial canteens.Contact him at mvrfundacion@gpovillamex.com or visit www.g-villamex.com.