A food staple is a food that makes up the dominant part of a population’s diet.
Food
staples
are eaten regularly—even daily—and supply a major proportion of a person’s energy and nutritional needs.
Food
staples
vary from place to place, depending on the
food
sources available. Most
food
staples
are inexpensive, plant-based
foods
. They are usually full of calories for
energy
. Cereal grains and tubers are the most common
food
staples
.
There are more than 50,000 edible plants in the world, but just 15 of them provide 90 percent of the world’s
food
energy
intake. Rice, corn (maize), and wheat make up two-thirds of this. Other
food
staples
include millet and sorghum;
tubers
such as potatoes, cassava, yams, and taro; and animal products such as meat, fish, and dairy.
Food
staples
traditionally depend on what plants are native to a region. However, with improvements in agriculture,
food
storage, and transportation, some
food
staples
are changing. For example, in the islands of the South Pacific, roots and
tubers
such as
taro
are traditional
food
staples
. Since 1970, however, their consumption has fallen.
Foods
that were particular to one region are becoming popular in regions where they don’t traditionally grow. Quinoa, for instance, is a
grain
-like plant that is grown high in the Andes Mountains of South America. Today,
quinoa
is popular far outside of Latin America.
Although staple
foods
are nutritious, they do not provide the full, healthy range of nutrients. People must add other
foods
to their
diets
to avoid malnutrition.
Rice
Rice
is a
food
staple
for more than 3.5 billion people around the world, particularly in Asia,
Latin America
, and parts of Africa.
Rice
has been cultivated in Asia for thousands of years. Scientists believe people first domesticated
rice
in India or Southeast Asia.
Rice
arrived in Japan in about 3,000 years ago. The Portuguese most likely introduced it into South America in the 16th century.
Today, the world’s largest
rice
producers are China, India, and Indonesia. Outside of Asia, Brazil is the largest
rice
producer.
Rice
grows in warm, wet climates. It thrives in waterlogged soil, such as in the flood plains of Asian rivers like the Ganges and the Mekong. "Deepwater
rice
"is a variety of
rice
that is adapted to deep flooding, and is grown in eastern Pakistan, Vietnam, and Burma.
Corn (Maize)
Corn
, known outside the United States as
maize
, is native to Central America, where it was
domesticated
by the Aztecs and Mayans.
Corn
remains the most widely grown crop in the Americas today. The United States is the world’s largest
corn
grower, producing more than 40 percent of the world’s
corn
. China, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina also produce large amounts of
corn
.
Corn
is used in a variety of ways, and can be stored relatively easily. This is why it is such a popular
food
staple
.
Dried, ground
corn
is called cornmeal. Many cultures make porridge out of
cornmeal
, including polenta in Italy and sadza in Zimbabwe.
Cornmeal
is also used to make
cornbread
, or treated with limewater to make masa, the main ingredient in tortillas.
Corn
kernels can be soaked in lye to produce hominy. Coarsely ground
hominy
is used to make grits, a popular
food
in the southeastern United States.
Grits
are a popular breakfast
food
, as are
corn
flakes and other
cereals
made from
corn
. Brazilians make a dessert called canjica by boiling
corn
kernels in sweetened milk.
In the Americas and the United Kingdom, many people like to boil, grill, or roast whole ears of
corn
and simply eat the kernels off the cob. Cooked kernels may also be removed from the
cob
and served as a vegetable. Certain varieties of
corn
kernels, when dried, will explode when heated, producing pop
corn
.
Corn
is also used to produce
corn
oil, sweeteners such as
corn
syrup, and cornstarch, which is used as a sweetener and thickening agent in home cooking and processed
food
products. Alcohol from fermented
corn
is the source of bourbon whiskey.
Wheat
Wheat
was first
domesticated
in the Middle East, in the area known as the Cradle of Civilization near what is now Iraq. Domesticating this reliable, versatile staple
food
was key to the development of
agriculture
.
Wheat
grows well in temperate
climates
, even those with a short growing season. Today, China, India, the United States, Russia, and France are among the largest
wheat
producers in the world.
The majority of breads are made with
wheat
flour.
Wheat
flour is also used in pasta, pastries, crackers, breakfast
cereals
, and noodles.
Wheat
can be crushed into bulgur, which has a high
nutritional
value and is often used in soups and pastries in the Middle East.
Roots and Tubers
In addition to
cereal
grains
, roots, and
tubers
are common
food
staples
, particularly in tropical regions.
Yams
are an important
food
in the rainforests of West Africa. They are most commonly peeled, boiled, and pounded into a pulp to make a dough called fufu.
Cassava
, also known as manioc, is a
food
staple
for more than 500 million people. This
tuber
originated in the Amazon
rainforest
of South America, and was introduced into West Africa in the 16th century. Now,
cassava
is important to the
diets
of many people in
Latin America
and Africa.
Taro
is a staple
food
on some of the Pacific
islands
, such as Hawai'i, Fiji, and New Caledonia, and also in West Africa. The Hawaiian national dish, poi, is a thick paste made from
taro
that has been boiled, mashed, and
fermented
.
Potatoes are native to the cold
climate
of the Andes Mountains. They were the
food
staple
of the Inca Empire in the 15th and 16th centuries. Introduced to Europe by explorers of the 16th century, potatoes are now a
food
staple
in Europe and parts of the Americas. The leading potato producers are China, Russia, India, the United States, and Ukraine.
Other Food Staples
Although
cereal
grains
and
tubers
make up the majority of the world’s
food
staples
, they are not the only
dominant
foods
in the world. The Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania have traditionally relied on
food
provided by cattle for the majority of their
diet
. Milk, meat, and blood are traditional ingredients in
Maasai
diets
. Today,
grain
has become a staple
food
of the
Maasai
, but they still drink large quantities of milk.
Cultures indigenous to polar
climates
, where fresh fruits and
vegetables
are scarce, rely on meat and fish as
food
staples
. For example, Eskimo tribes of Alaska and northern Canada have traditionally eaten seal, walrus, and whale meat in addition to many kinds of fish.
In
tropical
climates
, people often rely on starchy fruits such as plantains and breadfruit. In parts of Africa and Asia, especially India, legumes such as beans, lentils, and chickpeas are staple
foods
.
Fast Fact
Beer Staple
Wheat, a food staple around the world, can be germinated and dried to create malt. Malt is a key ingredient in beer, one of the first beverages created by people. Ancient beer was not carbonated and was probably as thick as a light syrup. It had a very low alcohol content, but was high in starch and was made from specially prepared loaves of bread.
In ancient Egypt, workers on the pyramids were often paid in beer. Other starchy, high-calorie foods such as bread and crackers were food staples. Thirsty workers were simply "drinking their bread."
Fast Fact
Goddess of Grain
The Roman goddess, Ceres, was considered the protector of grain. The term "cereal" comes from her name.
Fast Fact
Not Your Average Milkshake
For special celebrations, the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania drink a mixture of milk and cow's blood.
Fast Fact
Tortilla Crisis
Corn is more than just a food crop. In recent years, corn has been used to make ethanol, a fuel that emits less pollution than gasoline. Unfortunately, the rising demand for ethanol has increased the cost of corn. In 2007, rising corn prices caused a "tortilla crisis" in Mexico, where corn-based tortillas are a major food staple.
