A is a that makes up the part of a population’s . Food staples are eaten regularly—even daily—and supply a major proportion of a person’s and needs.

Food staples vary from place to place, depending on the food sources available. Most food staples are , plant-based foods. They are usually full of for energy. and are the most common food staples.

There are more than 50,000 plants in the world, but just 15 of them provide 90 percent of the world’s food energy intake. , () and make up two-thirds of this. Other food staples include and ; tubers such as potatoes, , and ; and animal products such as meat, fish and .

Food staples traditionally depend on what plants are native to a region. However, with improvements in , food storage and , some food staples are changing. For example, in the of the South Pacific, roots and tubers such as taro are traditional food staples. Since 1970, however, their has fallen.

Foods that were particular to one region are becoming popular in regions where they don’t traditionally grow. , 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 .

Although staple foods are nutritious, they do not provide the full, healthy range of . People must add other foods to their diets to avoid .

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 in Asia for thousands of years. Scientists believe people first 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 . It thrives in soil, such as in the of Asian rivers like the Ganges and the Mekong. "Deepwater rice" is a variety of rice that is to deep 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 and . 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 . Many cultures make out of cornmeal, including in Italy and in Zimbabwe. Cornmeal is also used to make cornbread, or treated with to make , the main ingredient in .

Corn kernels can be soaked in to produce . ground hominy is used to make , 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 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 . Cooked kernels may also be removed from the cob and served as a . Certain varieties of corn kernels, when dried, will explode when heated, producing popcorn.

Corn is also used to produce corn oil, sweeteners such as corn syrup, and , which is used as a sweetener and thickening agent in home cooking and processed food products. from corn is the source of .

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 , staple food was key to the development of agriculture.

Wheat grows well in climates, even those with a short . 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 , 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 regions. Yams are an important food in the of West Africa. They are most commonly peeled, boiled and pounded into a pulp to make a dough called .

Cassava, also known as , 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, , 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 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 of Kenya and Tanzania have traditionally relied on food provided by 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 to climates, where fresh fruits and vegetables are scarce, rely on meat and fish as food staples. For example, indigenous peoples in 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 fruits such as plantains and breadfruit. In parts of Africa and Asia, especially India, such as beans, lentils and chickpeas are staple foods.