If you can't imagine watching a movie without popcorn, or never having had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you have the Western hemisphere to thank. A number of the foods that make up a part of the everyday diet of people around the world are native to the Western hemisphere. Even Italians owe their tomato sauces to the Americas.
Grains, Seeds and Nuts
Corn was domesticated from a native grass called teosinte, and played an important role in the lives of native people. As a dietary staple, corn was eaten in a variety of ways, from puddings and breads to hominy and popcorn. Wild rice is a type of grass native to the plains of North America. The sunflower is native to North America; sunflower seeds were an important source of protein as well as healthy fats for native peoples. The Incas consider quinoa to be sacred. Amaranth was a staple in the diet of the Aztecs. Brazil is home to the cashew, while pecans are native to North America.
Vegetables
Beans were an important part of the diet of the Native American people; they were eaten fresh, dried, stewed and made into cakes or ground for flour. A number of varieties of squash are natives of the Western hemisphere including pumpkin, butternut squash, and the pepito squash from which most commercial "pumpkin" seeds come. Jerusalem artichokes are neither from Jerusalem nor artichokes--they are a form of sunflower native to North America, the tuber of which is crisp, mild and sweet. Cassava or tapioca is native to South America. Potatoes, both sweet potatoes and the so called "Irish" potato are native to the Western hemisphere. Peanuts are a legume that originated in South America.
Fruits
Tomatoes are native to South America, where they spread to Europe; tomatillos were first cultivated by the Aztecs. A number of different chili peppers are a native plant of the U.S. Southwest and Central America. Many berries are native to the Western hemisphere including cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, teaberries and blackberries. First eaten by the Incas and Aztecs, avocados are native to southern Mexico. Other native Mexican fruits include guava and papaya. The pineapple is a native of Brazil and south Paraguay. Passion fruit hails from South America, while the paw paw hails from North America.
Animals
For the Native Americans of the great plains states, buffalo was an important source of food. The native tribes also hunted moose, elk, bear, deer and rabbits. Seafood, including salmon, lobster and clams, was an important part of the diet of people in the Pacific and Northeast. Turkey is another native bird.
Other Foods
Native Americans in the northeastern U.S. obtained sap from maple trees which they used to make syrups and candies. The Aztecs were the first to use and name chocolate. The orchid that produces vanilla may have first been domesticated by the Totonac Indians. From the Caribbean, the world obtained allspice. Sassafras, used as a tea and a condiment, is also a native of the Western Hemisphere; powdered dried sassafras leaves are called file, and used to make file gumbo.
