Corn

Of all the ingredients in Oaxacan cooking, none has presented so many problems for me as the most basic—corn. And I assure you that nothing about U.S. cooking bothers Oaxacans, or actually all Mexicans, more than the corn. It’s as if the grain and what’s made from it were aimed at juvenile palates, like factory-farm table grapes and grape juice compared with the world of different wine grapes and wines. The range of Mexican corn varieties is rich and fascinating, and Oaxaca State is one of the greatest centers of corn-based cuisine. Unfortunately, U.S. sweet corn is a disaster when applied to dishes that use Oaxacan fresh corn, and even the main types of field corn that are ground into cornmeal here don’t really have the right taste or texture for the different Oaxacan ground-corn dishes.