Maize

Maize, also known as mayz or corn, was a cereal grain found in the Realms.

"Oh, corn fields. Grandpa Retsotnert once invented a corn-picking machine. Let's just say the memory of whizzing corn ears has never left my nightmares."

- Purfbin Doogrick

Availability
Places in the Realms where maize was known to be cultivated included:
 * In interior Faerûn, maize was cultivated in Cormyr and Sembia.
 * In north Faerûn, maize was cultivated in the Dalelands and Shadowdale. In the Battledale region, it was cultivated in the village of Lowdner.
 * In northwest Faerûn, maize was cultivated in the walled abbey of Goldenfields. In the 15 century DR of this region, several tiers of tilled earth were cut into the sloping sides of Mount Hamarhaast in the Ice Spires. There maize and many other crops were cultivated by yak folk.
 * In northeast Faerûn, a strain known as moon corn was cultivated in Vaasa.
 * In west Faerûn, corn was cultivated by the town of Crimmor.
 * In the Vilhon Reach, corn was grown by the farmers of the city-state of Lomatra of the Blade Kingdoms.
 * The land of Maztica.

Usages

 * The Azuposi people of Maztica regarded cornmeal as sacred and used it in ceremonies.
 * In the land of Kara-Tur, some would mash up and ferment corn into a beverage known as sake.
 * Corn starch was an ingredient in The Bitnez Pavlova Extraordinaire!.
 * Maize flour was the main ingredient for making tortillas.
 * Powdered corn was a material component in the spell rope trick.
 * Dried corn husks were used as mattress stuffing at Nat Wyler's Bell inn of Phlan.
 * Onion cakes from the Heartlands, the Vilhon Reach, and the Sword Coast North, were traditional food during the Greengrass. They were prepared using cornmeal and fried onions.

Rumors & Legends

 * The human inhabitants of Maztica believed that the deity Qotal gifted them maize after having grown jealous from all the worship that the goddess Maztica received from them.

Trivia
The coat of arms of Thorsar, one of the noble families of Westgate, depicted a blue hand holding corn.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * The Council of Blades &bull; Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor
 * Video Games
 * Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford