The American variety of corn, more properly named maize, was domesticated 5,000-7,000 years ago by the Native American Indians of Mexico. Corn was the staple food for the Indians in the highlands of Mexico because it is highly nutritious. As the Native American Indians migrated to the north and the south, they brought corn with them. The ideal conditions for growing corn include soil full of nutrients, water, and sunlight. Corn growth can be divided into two stages: vegetative and reproductive. In the vegetative growth, we see growth of the stalk, leaves, roots, and tassel. In the reproductive stage, the plant grows ears of corn. An ear of corn contains an average of 800 kernels, which are actually the plant’s seeds, and an average of 16 rows. A pound of corn usually contains an average of 1,300 kernels. A corn plant can grow up to 5 or 7 feet tall, sometimes even taller and it will normally grow one or two ears of corn. Corn is the most commonly grown grain in the United States. Most of the corn grown in the Unites States is consumed as animal feed or industrial feedstock. There are several varieties of corn: dent corn, sweet corn, popcorn, flint corn, waxy corn, high-amylose corn, high-oil corn, and high-lysine corn. Sweet corn is the variety that is eaten in the United States as fresh, sweet corn. It is named sweet corn because it is high in sugar. The dent corn variety is typically used for commercial use. The kernel has a dent on the crown of the kernel and this is where the name comes from. The popcorn corn variety has a drop of water inside of each kernel. When the kernel is heated, the water expands and the outer layer explodes to form popcorn. The flint corn variety has a soft center that is surrounded by a hard outer layer. Waxy corn, high-amylose corn, high-oil corn, and high-lysine corn varieties are all specialty corns. They may be used as food thickeners or to make starches for textiles, candies and adhesives. Common dishes made by the Indians and still made today from corn include tortillas, arepas and tamales. Corn is a staple food in many Latin American countries. Corn tortillas are low in fat, provide starch, which is a good source of energy, and protein and this is one of the reasons Native American Indians used corn in their diet. It is believed that the name “Tortilla” came from the Spaniards. When they saw the flat bread eaten in Mexico by the Aztecs, they called it Tortilla. The word comes from the Spanish word “torta” which means round cake. Corn tortillas are eaten in Mexico and in Central America. Arepas are eaten in South America in countries such as Venezuela and Colombia.