Domesticated plants of Mesoamerica

Okay kiddo, so you know how we have plants that we grow in our gardens and farms for food? Well, a long time ago, people who lived in Mesoamerica (which is where countries like Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras are today) also started to grow plants. But they didn't just pick any plants, they chose certain ones that they could make into food, medicine or things like cloth.

These plants were called domesticated plants, which basically just means that people were taking care of them and making sure they grew well. Some of the most important domesticated plants of Mesoamerica were corn, beans, squash, tomatoes, and chilies. Have you ever had those in your meals?

People in Mesoamerica also used these plants in different ways. For example, they would grind corn into flour to make tortillas, which is a round, flat bread that they could eat with other foods. They also used the fibers from some plants, like agave, to make cloth and rope.

So, domesticated plants of Mesoamerica were important because they helped people have enough food to eat, could be used in different ways, and they learned how to take care of these plants. And nowadays, we still use these plants in many of our meals and even enjoy them in different ways too!