Corn for everyone, everywhere, even in bread!

Appearing on the Mexican plains over 6,000 years ago, corn still holds the position today of the number one crop on the American continents. It's no surprise, then, that it holds a unique position in American food culture.

At the end of the 15th century, corn caught the attention of Spanish navigators, who decided to bring it back to Europe. It is now the world's most farmed cereal crop.

In France, more than 3 million hectares are devoted to corn farming, making it the second most farmed cereal crop.
Adept at ensuring a growing crop of grain, the country became the world's #1 exporter of corn kernels intended to be sown by farmers.

Unlike wheat, corn is sown in the spring. In the summer, the final bud blooms, becoming a flower known as corn tassel—this is the male flower which contains the pollen.

During this time, the secondary buds, which are the female organs, form the ear that produces the grain.

Corn grains suck up the sun's rays throughout the summer before being harvested when they reach maturity in the fall. Corn is a tall plant, with a height that varies between 6 to 13 feet (2–4 m).

From corn on the cob on the grill, to sweetcorn in a salad, to cornmeal in breakfast cereal, or corn starch in soups—there are as many ways to cook corn as there are grains on the plant's ear.

You can also turn corn into a kind of bread that's very popular in the US. Because corn doesn't contain gluten, wheat flour is usually added to help the dough rise. This golden-yellow bread is dense and spongy.

Bioplastics made from corn are used, for example, to make bags of fruit and vegetables bought in bulk. Bioethanol, which is used in fuel, also contains corn.
Corn starch is also a key component in cartons, toothpastes, and much more