Historical Food-What Aztecs Were Eating Before European Contact

Historical Food

What Aztecs Were Eating Before European Contact

Throughout the 14th and 15th centuries,

The area that is now Mexico was home to a thriving civilization

Known as the Aztecs.

Before being overthrown by the Spanish crown

Through the conqueror, Hernán Cortés, in 1521,

This complex Mesoamerican culture

Developed a unique cuisine that is still popular today.

So today, we are going to take a look at what the Aztecs were.

Eat before European contact

 

1.CHOCOLATE

If you like chocolate you owe yourself a big thank you

To the Aztecs, who made several significant contributions

To its development.

For the Aztecs, what they called xocoatl,

It was considered a food of the gods, which to be fair,

It is what most people still consider today.

Now just to be clear, xocoatl like the Aztecs do,

It is very different from the chocolate of modern times.

For one thing, it wasn't sweet.

It also did not form into bars.

In fact, it didn't actually transform into anything.

The Aztecs actually made a drink from the cocoa bean

Instead of transforming it into solid treatment

Used to do now.

The effects of that drink were detailed in the Florentine

Codex, written work of the 16th century

By Bernardino de Sahagún, a Spanish monk who lives

In Mesoamerica.

According to him, drinking too much cocoa

I would get drunk, I would dizzy, I would confuse, I would get sick,

In his words, upset.

In other words, a typical Friday night outing.

Yes!

While there has been much speculation

On the subject over the years, historians

I'm not sure what exactly makes the drink intoxicating.

What is known, however, is that the cacao tree had

Religious significance for the Aztecs,

And the drink was used in various rituals.

 

2.TORTILLAS

The Aztec diet incorporated many foods,

But it revolved mainly around consumption

Corn, or what is known today as corn.

A well-known example of how corn

Joined the Aztec diet

It is in the now world famous Omelette.

The tortillas they made back then, while various

In size, shape and function as they are now.

And everyone in the Aztec empire, regardless

Of social class, consumed them.

The flour that the Aztecs used to make tortillas

Came from corn that went through a process called

Nixtamalization.

The grains were boiled in water,

And ashes of juniper wood.

They were then soaked overnight until the outside hard

Every grain had come off.

The remaining corn was then ground into flour.

The Florentine Codex is quite detailed

On the many tortilla options available to food buyers

In Tenochtitlan.

According to the Codex, the food vendor

It sells folded tortillas, thick tortillas, and thick tortillas.

He sells Omelettes with turkey eggs, Omelettes

Made with honey, pressed, shaped [INAUDIBLE]

Tortillas, simple tortillas, assorted, stewed,

Sweet tortillas, amaranth seed tortillas, pumpkin tortillas,

Green corn tortillas, brick tortillas, tuna cactus

Tortillas, old crumbled broken tortillas, cold tortillas,

Tostadas, dry tortillas, and stinky tortillas.

It is a menu that sounds appetizing,

Except maybe the stinky tortillas.

It depends on what they stick to.

It makes the difference.

 

3.AMARANTH TAMALES

The amaranth plant had a religious significance.

For the Aztecs, and their seeds and leaves

They were used in various types of cuisine.

Amaranth seeds can be cooked, combined

With sweeteners like agave to make dough,

Or added to other dishes.

For the lords and upper classes, it was

Cooked in Tamallis, especially on holidays.

During these celebrations, it was even possible that commoners

To get your hands on these specialties.

The Florentine Codex actually describes the preparation

Of some varieties, such as Tamallis made from corn flour

With ground amaranth seeds and added cherries.

And tamallis stuffed with amaranth.

Does anyone else have the feeling?

That Bernardino Sahagún longed for Mexican food?

 

4.PEPIAN

Even in an empire where food was plentiful,

The rich still had access to a little more

Than everyone else.

The upper classes of the Aztec empire

I enjoyed tasty sauces, stews, and casseroles.

The Florentine Codex describes a particular casserole

Devoured by lords like a kind of casserole

Of birds made their way with red chili

And with tomatoes and ground pumpkin seeds, a dish that

Now it is called Pepian.

Also known as "Pepian", this dish

Today it is a Guatemalan stew par excellence.

While it has evolved over the centuries,

The dish actually still has many of its original features.

In its modern form, it is normally served with a single meat.

Although there are also recipes

For a full version of three meats.

It always contains vegetables and fruits,

Such as pear, pumpkin, carrot, potato, and corn on the cob.

And the conventional wisdom is that

Should be thick and rich with lots of roasted spices

Mixed together.

 

5.AHUACA-MULLI

Evidence shows that avocado trees

They were cultivated in the Americas as early as 750 BC. C.

And Ahuaca-Mulli or avocado sauce,

It is essentially a very early version of guacamole.

In fact, it was the Spanish who converted the word ahuacatl

In the word avocado, which eventually

Evolved to avocado.

Meanwhile, the term ahuaca-mulli slowly transformed

In the word guacamole.

Anyway, the pre-Columbian Aztecs

I have eaten these mashed avocados with tomatoes

And some coriander leaves.

The Spanish picked up this recipe,

Brought it back to Europe and I added some twists to it

Own, which is how we get

The modern version of the dish.

That being said, it's still not that different from what

The Aztecs enjoyed it.

One historian even wistfully suggested

That wrapped in a freshly made corn tortilla

Or even enjoyed on a tortilla chip,

Ahuaca-mulli could evoke very distant

The taste of Tenochtitlan.

 

6.LAKE-DWELLING AMPHIBIANS AND BUGS

The land around Tenochtitlan was swampy and muddy.

And the Aztecs made the most of agriculture

Of the situation.

They built artificial agricultural islands

Called chinampas, made by accumulating mud

From the bottom of lakes and swamps.

Channels were then placed around these chinampas

So that they are accessible and that the water flows around them.

But the Aztecs also used the surrounding lakes.

To add to your live food sources.

They fed on frogs, water bugs, and lake shrimp.

But they also didn't hesitate to chew eggs

And larvae of insects and amphibians.

In fact, one of their delicacies was the axolotl,

A larval salamander.

According to the Florentine Codex,

These creatures that inhabit the lake could be

Prepared in various ways.

Frog tamales, frog with corn kernels,

Axolotl with corn kernels, axolotl tamallis,

Tadpoles with corn kernels, and that's just to name a few.

 

7.TURKEYS

They were actually the pre-Aztec peoples

Who lived in the area that is now Mexico between 800 BC. C.

And 200 a. C. Who were the first to domesticate turkeys.

These early users ate the meat and eggs of the birds

To get protein, and even use their feathers

For decorative purposes.

Their Mesoamerican descendants continue the tradition.

And the turkeys that we still eat today

They owe their existence directly to those practices.

These domesticated turkeys were sources

Of food with his wild brothers,

Which tended to be smaller and considerably less meaty.

Some of these alternative meats that the Aztecs also ate

Came from deer, peccaries, rabbits, rabbits, mice,

Armadillos, snakes, gophers, possums and iguanas.

These animals, once captured, were fattened in captivity

Until they were eaten.

 

8.TECUITLATL

Tecuitlatl, which means stone manure

In the Aztec language, Nahuatl, it is a little more palatable

Than its name might imply.

It is actually an edible seaweed or seaweed,

That the Aztecs collected with tools,

Like nets and shovels.

Once collected, it would be dried in the sun.

After it was dry, the Tecuitlatls

It would be formed into cakes, it would dry again and then

Used to make tortillas.

According to Díaz del Castillo, one of the first Spanish

To visit Tenochtitlán, there were fishmongers and other

Who sold bread, who made

Of some kind of slime, which they collected

Of the great lake, which thicken and make bread

Of her, which tastes like cheese.

A later writer also compared its taste.

To cheese, except they found it less pleasant,

And with a certain muddy flavor.

 

9.HUITLACHOCHE

Known as the corn mushroom, corn char, or Mexican truffles,

Huitlachoche is a corn fungus, which today,

It is considered a gourmet meal.

In Nahuatl, the word Huitlachoche

It results in a dormant outgrowth.

This is because the fungus affects

The growth of corn kernels, in essence,

Making them fall asleep.

This sounds like a bad thing, but the Aztecs finally

He saw the effect as a blessing in disguise.

Because they still have sustenance

From the fungus that was ruining his beloved corn.

That's one way to look at mushrooms with a half glass full.

When it comes to preparing Huitlachoche in the kitchen,

Many authorities agree that the young white fungus

It tastes good raw, while aged black mushroom is better cooked.

 

10.OCTLI

Octli, also known as pulque, was a fermented drink.

Derived from the sweet sap of the agave plant.

The Aztecs referred to this plant as maguey,

And is affiliated with a pulque goddess, Mayahuel.

The drink was consumed for various rituals,

Often intricate vessels.

It would be consumed by priests and sacrificial victims.

Before ceremonies, and was used by the nobility

To celebrate victories.

The Aztecs also had several established rules and guidelines.

For consumption and creation.

For example, when it came to commoners, only

The elderly and pregnant women were able to participate.

And for those who made the drink,

They would have to abstain from sex,

Since it was believed that intercourse spoiled the process.

However, despite its obvious cultural importance

For the Aztecs, the drink is actually

It is believed to predate their culture.

 

11.PINOLI

Aztec society was extremely stratified,

And while the upper echelons and royalty enjoyed rich and meaty

Food, the lower ranks were forced

Adhere to predominantly vegetarian diets.

An example of this is pinoli, which is

The Nahuatl word for corn flour.

Pinoli was a kind of testament

To the itinerant nature of the life of the poor or contracted Aztecs.

This simple meal of ground and roasted corn held up well,

And travelers or warriors could take it to access

To a quick and filling dish.

While lacking in flavor, pinoli could

Mixed with water and other ingredients, such as cocoa,

To make it more enjoyable.

This type of instant food, called [INAUDIBLE] ,,

They were popular with lower-class Aztecs.

Think of them as the ancient Mesoamerican equivalent

Of television dinners.

 

So what do you think?

Which of these Aztec food sounds the most delicious to you?

Let us know in the comments below.

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