Food
The American Indian Contribution to the World's Food
Did you know that over an estimated 62% of all the food that the entire world eats today was originally developed by American Indian people? It's true! In fact, if you took out all the food in your cupboards and refrigerator that was developed by Native people, you wouldn't be left with much to eat. Have you ever gone to a movie and had a tub of popcorn? Well, if it weren't for the ingenuity of ancient Indigenous folks, you'd have to eat something else at the movie! Yes, that's right, Native Americans invented popcorn.... and many other foods and drinks you enjoy today. The list below will clearly convey the overwhelming American Indian contribution to the food of today's world.
A partial list of the foods originally developed or discovered by Native people
(Most of these foods were Indigenous only to the Americas, meaning they did not grow anywhere else in the world)
Corn - all types including sweet, flint & popcorn
Beans - almost all types including: Pinto, Lima, Kidney, Navy,
Red, White, Black, Green (String, Pole, French, Snap), Butter,
Great Northern and Wax
Squash - all types including Zuchinni, Acorn, Spaghetti,
Crook-neck, Summer, Winter and Butternut
Tomato - all types including Red, Yellow and Orange,
from cherry to melon size
Potato - 250 varieties grown (20 varieties are 75% of total harvest)
3,000 varieties were developed by the Incas
Cacao (Cocoa & Chocalate come from this)
Peppers - all types including Green, Chili and Banana
Sunflowers (the seeds and oil as well),
Avocado
Cashews
Hominy
Passion Fruit
Vanilla
Catfish
Grits
Hickory Nuts
Cayenne
Pumpkin
Gum
Pomegranates
Peanuts
Jerky
Wild Rice
Sweet Potato
Jerusalem Artichoke
Chilies
Tortillas
Persimmon
Yams
Arrowroot (starchy flour)
Prickly Pear Cactus
Pineapple
Guava
Papaya
Pawpaw
Blueberry
Strawberry
Mulberry
Cranberry
Huckleberry
Chokecherry
Maple Syrup
Sassafras (Tea, & flavoring of Root Beer)
Catnip
Manioc or Cassava (Tapioca Pudding)
Mesquite
Ramps (wild leeks)
Wintergreen Mint
Paprika
Allspice
Pecan
Black Walnut
Acorn
Beechnut (fine quality oil)
Clams
Scallops
Shrimp
Crayfish
Turkey
Bison
Moose
Caribou
Musk Ox
Antelope
Opossum
Armadillo
White Tailed Deer
Alligator
Did you know that over an estimated 62% of all the food that the entire world eats today was originally developed by American Indian people? It's true! In fact, if you took out all the food in your cupboards and refrigerator that was developed by Native people, you wouldn't be left with much to eat. Have you ever gone to a movie and had a tub of popcorn? Well, if it weren't for the ingenuity of ancient Indigenous folks, you'd have to eat something else at the movie! Yes, that's right, Native Americans invented popcorn.... and many other foods and drinks you enjoy today. The list below will clearly convey the overwhelming American Indian contribution to the food of today's world.
A partial list of the foods originally developed or discovered by Native people
(Most of these foods were Indigenous only to the Americas, meaning they did not grow anywhere else in the world)
Corn - all types including sweet, flint & popcorn
Beans - almost all types including: Pinto, Lima, Kidney, Navy,
Red, White, Black, Green (String, Pole, French, Snap), Butter,
Great Northern and Wax
Squash - all types including Zuchinni, Acorn, Spaghetti,
Crook-neck, Summer, Winter and Butternut
Tomato - all types including Red, Yellow and Orange,
from cherry to melon size
Potato - 250 varieties grown (20 varieties are 75% of total harvest)
3,000 varieties were developed by the Incas
Cacao (Cocoa & Chocalate come from this)
Peppers - all types including Green, Chili and Banana
Sunflowers (the seeds and oil as well),
Avocado
Cashews
Hominy
Passion Fruit
Vanilla
Catfish
Grits
Hickory Nuts
Cayenne
Pumpkin
Gum
Pomegranates
Peanuts
Jerky
Wild Rice
Sweet Potato
Jerusalem Artichoke
Chilies
Tortillas
Persimmon
Yams
Arrowroot (starchy flour)
Prickly Pear Cactus
Pineapple
Guava
Papaya
Pawpaw
Blueberry
Strawberry
Mulberry
Cranberry
Huckleberry
Chokecherry
Maple Syrup
Sassafras (Tea, & flavoring of Root Beer)
Catnip
Manioc or Cassava (Tapioca Pudding)
Mesquite
Ramps (wild leeks)
Wintergreen Mint
Paprika
Allspice
Pecan
Black Walnut
Acorn
Beechnut (fine quality oil)
Clams
Scallops
Shrimp
Crayfish
Turkey
Bison
Moose
Caribou
Musk Ox
Antelope
Opossum
Armadillo
White Tailed Deer
Alligator