Flora

Of the most important plants in the Mayan region, some trees can be mentioned that were used for construction purposes, such as sapodilla, mahogany and cedar, which are currently classified as fine woods.

Chewing gum is also extracted from sapodilla, and the resin of the copal tree has been important for its ceremonial use. Other trees were used for the construction of canoes or for the production of paper, especially amate bark.

For food purposes, fruit trees were important, especially sapotaceae, which were the most consumed, along with a wide variety of wild fruits.

The diet was also based on a variety of edible roots and tubers, such as cassava and sweet potato, as well as various herbs, chili peppers, mushrooms and flowers.

Of special importance have been cucurbits, which include various types of pumpkins or pumpkins. Among the plants that produce edible seeds, the different types of corn and beans, vanilla, annatto, ramón or ujuxte, and cocoa stand out.

Regarding corn, it has been the main sustenance of all Mesoamerican populations, so the intensification of its cultivation around the year 2,000 BC was one of the triggers for the development of the Mayan Civilization. In fact, corn is currently the most consumed agricultural product in the world.

Cocoa also deserves special attention, since it was a food reserved for royalty and figures of high social rank. When it was processed in Europe as chocolate, it became another food consumed globally.