What was the main food crop of the ancient Maya?

What was the main food crop of the ancient Maya? The main food crop of the ancient Maya was maize, also known as corn.

Maize was the central staple of Maya agriculture and diet, though it was grown alongside beans, squash, chili peppers, manioc, and many tree crops. Its cultivation supported more settled communities and became deeply embedded in Maya ideas about human origins. The Popol Vuh, a Kʼicheʼ Maya creation narrative, famously describes people as being made from maize dough.

Maya cooks prepared maize in many forms, including tortillas, tamales, porridges, and drinks. They commonly used nixtamalization: soaking and cooking the kernels in an alkaline solution before grinding them. This process improves the food’s nutritional value by making niacin more available and helps produce workable maize dough.

Beans and squash were important companion crops, not the answer to this question. They supplied valuable nutrients and were often cultivated with maize, but maize remained the principal crop and the most powerful agricultural symbol. Archaeological evidence also shows that Maya diets varied by region, with fishing, hunting, gathering, and other crops supplementing the staple.