Potatoes

• The Incas cultivated seven separate species and more than 5,000 varieties of potato plants, one of which was a frost-resistant species that could be grown at 14,000 feet above sea level. Another native Andean variety is the "atahualpa," named for a legendary Incan warrior king.
  
  

Yucca Root

• Many kinds of roots and tubers were used by the Incas for food, including yucca root, also known as manioc or cassava. This could be mashed into a paste, dried, roasted or boiled as an ingredient in stews.
  
  

Corn

• Corn, also known as maize, was an important Incan crop. It was first cultivated from a wild grass called "teosinte" and later developed into varieties that could withstand harsh temperatures. One use of corn was to make a fermented beverage called "chica," a kind of beer.
  
  

Tomatoes

• Tomatoes can be traced to a native Andean plant, which was widespread during the Incan empire, although Incans are not known to have harvested its berries for food. The Andean heritage of the tomato is commemorated in the name of the heirloom tomato known as the "Inca Andian."