From production to consumption, from preparation to presentation, food is a powerful symbol of social and cultural meaning. This course examines the expansive relationship between food and identity in Latin America through cultural texts (orality, narrative, poetry, film). In particular, we will analyze the role of corn in Mesoamerican (present-day Mexico and Central America) communities, from pre-colonial Indigenous cosmologies up to the NAFTA/CUSMA present, focusing on the spiritual, political, economic, cultural, and, of course, gastronomic functions. We will read texts from literature food studies, economics, Indigenous studies, anthropology, and cultural studies. Discussions and readings will be in English.