Tag Type
Material
Date
September 5, 2026
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Ben HoshourArchived?
Approved retrieval term. Maize is an Indigenous domesticate with a deep history; it should not be presented as a raw material that simply awaited European distillation.
Definition
The domesticated cereal crop Zea mays, developed through Indigenous cultivation and selection in the Americas and later adapted to many regional foodways and agricultural economies.
Scope
Use this tag when
- Evidence concerns maize domestication, diffusion, cultivation, varieties, foodways, or its later use as a distilling grain.
Do not use this tag when
- The record concerns only a whiskey’s formulation percentage; use Mash Bill.
- The record concerns only the legal definition of corn whiskey or bourbon; use the relevant product or regulation tag.
Vocabulary guidance
“Corn,” “Indian corn,” and Zea mays are aliases. Retain the source’s historical terminology in quotations while using “maize” where precision helps separate the crop’s Indigenous history from modern commodity corn.