A plant of the carya species from the Juglandaceae family and indigenous to the south-eastern part of North America, pecans were an important staple and source of nutrition for the Native Americans since pre-discovery of the continent. As British began to settle North America in the 16th century, the nuts made their way into the Western diet. In the 20th century, their varieties were modified and with farming and harvesting techniques also improving, commercial production became possible. Mild and with little bitterness, pecans have a variety of uses.