South & Central America

South & Central America, Caribbean, And Mexico

 The Origins Of Food By Continent

Abiu is native to tropical regions in South America. Fruits & Nuts

Açaí (also aqai, acai) is one of the most popular "superfoods" of today. Native to Central and South America. Fruits & Nuts

Acerola (also Barbados cherry, manzanita, West Indian Cherry, wild crapemyrtle) this c-vitamin-rich fruit is native to the Caribbean. Fruits & Nuts

Acorn squash (Oak seed squash) is firmly identified with the zucchini and have a place in the "winter squash" family.  All cultivars of squash have their ancestral roots in the Americas. Vegetables

Allspice  (likewise Jamaica pepper, kurundu, myrtle pepper, newspice) is local to Focal America and the Caribbean. Spices & Herbs

Alpaca is a so camelid and just like the llama related to a wild species called vicuña which is found in alpine regions in the Andes. Kept for wool and meat for more than 6000 years. Are kept mostly for their meat and their pelt. Livestock

Annato (also achiote, roucou) is native to tropical regions in the Americas. Much used in Central and South America including the Caribbean. Spices & Herbs

Arracacha is a root native to the Andes. Related to the carrot. Vegetables

Atemoya (also mamon, chirimorinon, achta) is a hybrid between sugar apple and cherimoya. Local to tropical areas of Focal and South America. 

Fruits & Nuts

Avocado (likewise spread pear, gator pear, abacate, palta,) develops on trees and are local to Focal America. There are a wide range of cultivars that vary broadly in size and fat substance.  Fruits & Nuts, Vegetables

Babaco is papaya like fruit native to Ecuador. Fruits & Nuts

Bacupari is native to the Amazon. Fruits & Nuts

Bell pepper (also sweet pepper, pepper) are milder cultivars of the capsicum native to Mexico, Central, and South America. Not related to the spice pepper. Vary in color according to type and stage of ripeness. Vegetables

Biriba (also rollinia) is native to South America. Related to the custard apple. Fruits & Nuts

Black persimmon (also black sapote, chocolate pudding fruit) is native to Central America and Colombia. Fruits & Nuts

Blackberry are several species that are native to temperate areas in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Fruits & Nuts

Boldo is native to Chile but has spread all over South America. Spices & Herbs

Brazil nut (also para nut) is native to South America. Fruits & Nuts

Caigua (also ´slipper gourd, lady’s slipper, sparrow gourd) is native to South America and Central America where it was domesticated. Vegetables

Cainito (also caimito, star apple, milk fruit) is native to Central America and the Caribbean. Fruits & Nuts

Calabash tree (also kalebas, huingo, krabasi) is similar but not closely related to the calebash. Native to the Americas. Fruits & Nuts

Candlenut (likewise candleberry, Indian pecan, kukui nut tree) is local to tropical districts far and wide. Common in cuisines in Southeast Asia and in Hawaii. Spices & Herbs

Canella (also cinnamon bark, wild cinnamon) is a tree in which bark is similar to true cinnamon but is not related. Native to the Caribbean. Spices & Herbs

Canistel is native to Central America. Fruits & Nuts

Cashew (also caju) is native to the Northeast in Brazil but popular around the world. Both the fruit and the "nut" is used. Fruits & Nuts

Cassabanana (also siskana, musk cucumber) is native to tropical regions of South America. Fruits & Nuts

Cassava (also yuca, manioc, aipim) is a root vegetable native to South America and perhaps West Africa but has spread around the world and is an important staple food in Africa. Eaten cooked or made into flour. Vegetables

Cayenne pepper (likewise Guinea flavor, aleva, winged animal pepper) is a kind of stew pepper.  Cultivated first in Guine, South America. In its powdered form known as red pepper. Spices & Herbs

Charichuelo (lemon drop mangosteen, bumpy lemon, rheedia) is native to South America. Fruits & Nuts

Chaya (also tree spinach) is a shrub with leafy edible plants native to Mexico. Vegetables

Chayote (also chuchu, christophene, vegetable pear, pear squash) is native to Central America. Vegetables

Cherimoya (also sugar apple, sweetsop) is native to Andean regions of South America. Also known as custard apple but there are various species with the same name. Fruits & Nuts

Chili pepper (also chilli, pimenta malagueta) is native to South and Central America through widely spread around the world for hundreds of years. Spices & Herbs, Vegetables

Chipotle is a smoke-dried jalapeño chili native to Central America. Spices & Herbs

Cocoa (also cacao) is native to Central and South America. Fruits & Nuts

Coconut is found in tropical regions around the world. Has spread with the help of currents and migration. Fresh green coconut is popular for its liquid. The dried older coconuts provide the white pulp from which many products are made, among them coconut milk. Fruits & Nuts

Cocoplum is native to tropical regions in the Americas. Fruits & Nuts

Common bean Basic bean is the name for the bean that was developed by antiquated societies in Focal and South America.  Eaten fresh when green, most of the time dried and then cooked. There are many subspecies like the black bean (also black turtle), pinto (also mottled bean) pink, borlotto (also strawberry bean, romano bean), shell beans, yellow bean, white bean (also navy bean) and red bean (also kidney bean, chili bean). All these species have their ancestral botanical roots in the Americas. Vegetables

Corn smut is a kind of disease found on maize. Known as huitlacoche in Latin America where it is native. Common in Mexican cuisine. Mushrooms

Culantro (likewise Mexican coriander, shadow benny, wild coriander, long coriander, fitweed, spiritweed, duck-tongue herb, sawtooth, saw leaf herb) is local to South and Focal America. Similar to coriander in taste but not related. Common in cuisines worldwide. Spices & Herbs

Custard apple (also bullocks heart, bull´s heart) is native to tropical regions of the Americas. Fruits & Nuts

Deer have only recently started to be domesticated for meat production. Deer are native to all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Livestock

Duck just like the chicken, duck is believed to first have been domesticated wild ducks (called mallards) in Southeast Asia, this several thousands of years BC. In the Americas another breed was domesticated, the Muscovy, this was before Columbus. Duck provide meat and eggs. Livestock

Dulce de leche is caramelized milk used in desserts. It has its origin in South America. Dairy Products

Epazote (also wormseed, Jesuit´s tea, Mexican tea) is a herb native to the Americas. Common in Central American cooking. Spices & Herbs

Feijoa (also pineapple guava, guavasteen) is native to highlands in South America. Fruits & Nuts

Goitenyo (also jacatupe, Amazonian yam bean) is a root vegetable native to South America’s rainforests. Vegetables

Golden apple (also jobo, yellow mombin, hog plum, java plum, Spanish plum) is native to tropical regions in South and Central America. Fruits & Nuts

Granadilla a few species related to passion fruit. Native to the Americas. Fruits & Nuts

Grapefruit is a very bitter variety of sweet orange that came to be in Barbados. Fruits & Nuts

Guarana (also cherimoya) is native to tropical regions of Brazil. Often made into a powder, a natural stimulant. Fruits & Nuts
Guava this popular tropical fruit is native to Central America and northern South America. Fruits & Nuts
Huacatay  (likewise mint marigold, Mexican marigold, wild marigold, smelling Roger) is a culinary herb local to South America. Spices & Herbs
Huito (also marmalade box, jenipapo) is native to South and Central America. Fruits & Nuts
Ice cream bean is native to the Amazon. Vegetables
Ilama similar to the cherimoya, native to Central America. Fruits & Nuts
Jabuticaba (also Brazilian grape tree) is native to Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. Fruits & Nuts
Jícama (also yam bean, yam, Mexican turnip) is a root vegetable native to tropical and subtropical regions in South America. Vegetables
Kañiwa is a species of goosefoot and is a close relative of quinoa. It is native to Andean South America. Grains & Cereals
Lima bean (also butter bean, haba bean, guffin bean, hibbert bean, sieva bean, Rangoon bean, Madagascar bean, prolific bean, civet bean, sugar bean, pallar bean, Burma bean) has its origins in Central and South America. Vegetables
Llama The camel of South America is bred from the alpine living vicuña that was domesticated over 5000 years ago by tribes in western South America. The meat from the Llama is eaten. Livestock
Lúcuma (also lucuma,lucmo, eggfruit) is native to Andean regions in South America. Fruits & Nuts
Maize (also corn) are various cultivars domesticated by ancient American cultures where they are native. Very important in Africa and the Americas. Grains & Cereals, Vegetables
Malabar gourd (also cidra, fig leaf gourd, Asian pumpkin, pie melon, Siam pumpkin, Thai marrow) is a type of squash and thus with its origins in the Americas where it also was cultivated. Popular in Asia. Vegetables
Mamey sapote is native to Mexico. Fruits & Nuts
Mammee apple (also mamey, Santo Domingo apricot, South American apricot) is native to tropical regions of South America. Fruits & Nuts
Mamoncillo (also genip) is native to tropical regions in South and Central America. Fruits & Nuts
Monster fruit (also ceriman, cheese plant, fruit salad plant) this smelly fruit is native to rainforests in Central America. Fruits & Nuts
Mountain soursop is native to Central America and the Caribbean. Fruits & Nuts
Mulberry (also Morus) is a number of species of various shapes and colors. They are native to most regions on all continents except Australia. Fruits & Nuts
Nance (also savanna serrette, golden spoon) is a small fruit native to tropical parts of the Americas. Fruits & Nuts
Naranjilla (also lulo) is native to northwestern South America. Fruits & Nuts
New Zealand spinach (also warrigal greens, sea spinach, botany bay spinach, tetragon, Cook's cabbage) is native to New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Chile, and Argentina) is cultivated for its green leaves that are eaten fresh. Vegetables
Nopal is a cactus fruit native to Mexico. Vegetables
Papaya (also paw, mamão) is native to Central America and northern South America. Fruits & Nuts
Paprika (also paprika powder) is the result of grinding dried bell peppers or chili peppers, both domesticated species native to South and Central America. Spices & Herbs
Passion fruit (also maracujá, galendar) is native to southern Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina. There are various cultivars of different shapes, colors and sizes - the large yellow and the small purple are two examples. Fruits & Nuts

Patagonian toothfish is an endangered species. They dwell in temperate to cold Southern Oceans in depths down to almost 4000 meters. Fish & Seafood

Pattypan squash (also sunburst squash, white squash, scaloppini button squash, cymling, scallop squash, granny squash, custard marrow, custard squash) is a type of "summer squash" and thus has its origins in the Americas. Looks like a little pie. Vegetables

Peach palm fruit (also pewa, pupunha) is a fruit native to Central and South America. Fruits & Nuts

Peanut (also earthnuts, ground nuts, goober peas, monkey nuts, amendoim, pygmy nuts, pig nuts) this nut has its origin in South America. Today it is popular all over the world. Fruits & Nuts

Pecan is a nut native to Mexico and the US. Fruits & Nuts

Pepino (also pepino melon, melon pear) is native to South America. Fruits & Nuts

Pepper (also capsicum, bell pepper, paprika, chili peppers) is native to the Americas. Various sizes and cultivars are either treated as spices or vegetables. Vegetables

Pequi (also souari nut) is a fruit native to Brazil and Paraguay. Fruits & Nuts

Persimmon is a collective name for several species. The mabolo of the Philippines, the black persimmon of Mexico and the by far most common Japanese persimmon (also known as kaki, shizi or sharon) native to China. Fruits & Nuts

Physalis (also Cape gooseberry, golden berry) is native to South America. Fruits & Nuts

Pineapple (also ananas) is native to Paraguay and southern Brazil. Fruits & Nuts

Pink peppercorns  (likewise Brazilian pepper, rose pepper) isn't identified with different plants that give peppercorns. Native to South America. Spices & Herbs

Pitanga (Surinam cherry, Brazilian cherry, Cayenne cherry) is a little organic product local to tropical districts in the Americas. Fruits & Nuts

Pitaya (dragonfruit) is native to tropical regions in Central and South America. Fruits & Nuts

Platonia (also bacuri, maniballi, naranjillo, bacurizeiro) is native to South America. Fruits & Nuts

Potato is a tuber. All the cultivars of today are believed to have a common origin in wild varieties found in Peru but most of them were cultivated in ancient Chile. When it arrived in Europe it changed history. Vegetables

Pumpkin is a few major measured cultivars from the family Cucurbita that incorporates squash and gourd, has its herbal causes in the Americas. Very popular in the US. Vegetables

Quinoa is cultivated from a type of goosefoot native to South and Central America. It was first cultivated about 4000 BC in the ancient Andean cultures. Grains & Cereals

Rabbits are native to all inhabited continents Australia where their introduction has had disastrous consequences for the ecosystem. Have been bred for meat and pelt for over a thousand years. Livestock

Rhea is a huge flightless winged animal local to South America.  It has been farmed since the 20th century, provide meat, eggs, and feathers. Livestock

Runner bean (also scarlet runner bean) is native to Central America. Vegetables

Sapodilla is native to Central America and the Caribbean. Fruits & Nuts

Sonoya native to Central America, similar to cherimoya. Fruits & Nuts

Sorghum is native to warmer regions around the world. Important in Africa, and southern Asia and Central America. Grains & Cereals

Soursop (also graviola) is native to tropical regions of South and Central America. Fruits & Nuts

Squash is the collective name for cultivars of both so-called "winter-" and "summer squash". Native to the Americas. Vegetables

Sugar apple (also sweetsop) is native to the Americas and southern Asia. Also known as custard apple and can thus be confused with the other species. Fruits & Nuts

Summer squash is a collective name for cousa squash, pattypan squash (Scallop squash), yellow crookneck squash, yellow summer squash, and zucchini. All with their origins in the Americas. Vegetables
Sunflower is several species. Originally native to Central America. Grown for its seeds that are used as grains and to provide oil. Fruits & Nuts
Sweet corn (also Indian corn, sugar corn, pole corn) is a type of maize and the most common cultivar. It is cooked or made into flour. Native to the Americas. Vegetables
Sweet potato (also kumara) is a root vegetable native to tropical regions in South and Central America where it was first cultivated. Vegetables
Tamarillo (also tree tomato) is native to Andean regions in South America. Fruits & Nuts
Tepary bean is native to Central America and southwestern North America. Vegetables
Tomatillo (additionally green tomato, husk tomato, jamberry, husk cherry, Mexican tomato, ground cherry) is local to Focal and South America.  Not related to the tomato, rather to physalis. Vegetables
Tomato is unique local to good countries in South America.  The earliest cultivars were a lot smaller and all yellow. Vegetables
Toothache plant (also paracress) is a plant native to tropical Brazil. Used as a spice and a herb in cooking mainly in North Brazil. Spices & Herbs
Turkey is related to wild turkey native to Mexico. We know they were domesticated by Mayans at least 2000 years ago. They are bred for meat and eggs. Livestock
Vanilla is gotten from an orchid local to Mexico.  True vanilla is very expensive. Spices & Herbs
Waterleaf (also Surinam purslane, Philippine spinach, sweetheart, Florida spinach, Ceylon spinach) is a leafy herb important in tropical regions around the world. Native to both the New and the Old World. Vegetables
Yacón is a root vegetable local to Andean South America.  Sweet. Vegetables
Zucchini (also courgette) are types of squash and thus with ancestry in the Americas. Belong to the "summer squash". Vegetables