Maize, also known as corn in North American and Australian English, is a cereal grain that belongs to the family Poaceae. It was first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The leafy stalk of the plant gives rise to inflorescences (or "tassels") which produce pollen and separate ovuliferous inflorescences called ears that when fertilized yield kernels or seeds, which are botanical fruits. Maize is the most grown cereal grain in the world by weight, and it is used to produce cornstarch, corn oil, corn syrup, and cornmeal.
The term maize is preferred in formal, scientific, and international usage as the common name because it refers specifically to this one grain, whereas corn refers to any principal cereal crop cultivated in a country. However, in North America, the term corn is mainly used, while in the UK and other parts of the world, maize is more commonly used. Despite this, there are a lot of inconsistencies in where and how these terms are used, and you may often hear them swapped around in both countries, as well as in other parts of the world.
