For centuries, the indigenous people of South America have learned to cultivate a wide variety of plants and to terrace the slopes of the Andes Mountains, so they became more suited to growing food crops. From corn, potatoes, lima beans and chili peppers to sweet potatoes, peanuts and avocados, their crops offer a diversity of interesting flavors utilized in the regional dishes. They had the use of llamas and other farm animals for meat as well.