Maize: Nurturing Traditions, Myths, and Poetry in Costa Rica

Abstract

This essay explores, from a multidisciplinary perspective, the presence and importance of corn in the development of the culture of the peoples of Mesoamerica, in particular Costa Rica. We connect corn with creation myths, with religious and social practices, and with cultural and gastronomic processes that are part of the cultural heritage of the peoples of the region. Likewise, we study the presence of corn in Latin American poetry, focusing on two poems by Costa Rican renowned poet Julieta Dobles Costa Rica poem by poem: a journey through the secret soul of the country (1997). This collection emphasizes the construction of sociocultural and political elements around food, showing not only the culinary aspect, but also reflecting the history of a people. The two poems analyzed have corn as the main ingredient: “The tamale pilgrimage” and “The tortilla’s itineraries”. In both, the ingredients function as symbols of history and national identity, and highlight the mixing that defines Latin America.