Native American foods: History, culture, and influence on modern diets

• Published in: Journal of Ethnic Foods
• Main Authors: Sunmin Park, Nobuko Hongu, James W. Daily, III
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2016
• Subjects: American Indian; beans; corn; Native American; squash; Nutrition. Foods and food supply; TX341-641; Indian; Bering Land Bridge; Alaska
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jef.2016.08.001; https://doaj.org/article/5c828d45153f46739b4fc2c5dc4aeaac

Approximately 12,000–15,000 years ago people from northeast Asia crossed the Bering Land Bridge to enter and inhabit North America beginning in Alaska but rapidly spreading throughout North and South American and the Caribbean islands. These people rapidly adapted to the available food sources and soon developed new foods. It is estimated that about 60% of the current world food supply originated in North America. When Europeans arrived, the Native Americans had already developed new varieties of corn, beans, and squashes and had an abundant supply of nutritious food. The foods of the Native Americans are widely consumed and their culinary skills still enrich the diets of nearly all people of the world today. This article provides only a small sampling of the rich and highly varied Native American food culture that has been passed down to modern civilization.