In both “The People of the Corn” and “Aztec Ingredients” there was an emphasis on the high regard that many Mesoamerica communities had for maize. The importance of such a staple food can be seen in through the discussion of the many gods worshiped for their association to maize to the rituals practiced for a good harvest of maize. The development and means of consumption lead to the establishment of gender roles along with social class status. Women would grin the kernels with mineral lime while the men, who didn’t have animals of burden until contact with Europeans, would work the lands for the crop. Tortillas for example seem to a staple for campesinos and the creation of tortillas is excruciating work that was never meant for the elite.
