Corn, whose cultivation began in the mid-eighteenth century, after being imported from the Americas, plays a very important role in the diet of Italian-speaking Switzerland, thanks to the high yield of its seeds. It gradually spread, replacing other crops such as millet and sorghum, and during the nineteenth century, corn became the main food and economic resource of the region, particularly in Mendrisiotto, alternating with the cultivation of wheat. Even today, corn is the most widespread type of crop in Ticino and, once ground, is used to prepare polenta, some types of bread and cakes, as well as fodder for animals.