Corn, or maize, is a cereal grain grown from the plant Zea mays, eaten as a vegetable and milled into flour, meal, and starch. It was domesticated in southern Mexico roughly 9,000 years ago and remains a dietary staple across the Americas. Fresh sweet corn is grilled, boiled, or roasted as a vegetable, while dried kernels are ground into cornmeal or masa for breads, porridges, and tortillas. Corn has a mildly sweet, nutty flavor and pairs well with butter, chili, lime, and dairy; it is also a major source of animal feed, ethanol, and corn syrup.