Mesoamerican cuisine

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Mesoamerican cuisine – (covering

sapodilla,[8] sweet potatoes, yucca and zapote.[9]

Historically, various methods and techniques were employed to store, prepare and preserve the foods, most of which remain in use today.[10] Hernán Cortés introduced rice and wheat to Mesoamerica, prior to which time milpa (known as the cornfield)[5] was one of the main sources of sustenance.[11]

Some traditional foods featured in the cuisine include: Atole (a drink made using masa)[12] and Chocolate Atole (with the addition of chocolate) also known as champurrado.[13] Two classic maize dishes are: boiling maize in water and lime, mixing with chili peppers and eating as gruel; dough preparation for flat cakes, tamales and tortillas.[14] Edible foam is another popular food item, sometimes even regarded as sacred.[15]

While squashes were cooked for food, dried gourds were repurposed for storage[16] or used during battles with embers and chilies, wrapped in leaves and used as chemical warfare.[17]

History

Common cocoa seed that would be used to make hot chocolate
  • 7200 BCE: use of chilies
  • 6,700 BCE: harvesting and
    teosinte
    planting
  • 4000 BCE: use of squash
  • 2000 BCE: cultivation began
  • 1500 BC: chocolate with the Olmec civilization in Mesoamerica.[18]

Animals

The animals used in Mesoamerican cuisine were mainly dogs, turkeys, deer and the Muscovy duck.[19]

Chocolate

The Mesoamericans began making fermented drinks using chocolate in 450 BC using the Theobroma cacao (cocoa tree).[20] Once sugar was used to sweeten it rather than spices, it gained popularity[21] and was used in feasts. Toasted cacao beans were ground (sometimes with parched corn) and then the powder was mixed with water. This was beaten with a wooden whisk until foamy. Vanilla orchid pods or honey were used as flavor enhancers.[22] Chocolate was also seen as an energy drink and a libido increaser as recorded by Moctezuma II who drank 50 cups a day from a golden goblet.[23]

References

  1. ^ "Divine Food". www.imj.org.il. 2019-10-06. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  2. ISBN 978-1-118-25719-7
    .
  3. ^ "Mesoamerica. Pizza With Savour Of Aztec Cuisine". www.southworld.net. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  4. ^ Morganfield, T. L. (2013-09-02). "Food in Mesoamerica - The Four Staples (History)". T. L. Morganfield. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  5. ^ a b "The Mesoamerican Milpa". edibleaustin.com. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  6. ISBN 978-0-8130-2953-5
    .
  7. PMID 33171785
    .
  8. ISBN 978-0-313-34768-9
    .
  9. ^ "Mexican Culinary Culture by ChefsProject.com". chefsproject.com. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  10. PMID 11640797
    .
  11. ^ Eastsider, The. "A Mexican restaurant without rice? Welcome to Mesoamerican cuisine in Boyle Heights". The Eastsider LA. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  12. ^ Hammond, David. "Making atole, a warm, liquid gift from ancient Mexico". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  13. ^ "Mesoamerican Cuisine". worldfood.guide. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  14. ^ Chapala (2017-09-05). "How the Maya Civilization Influenced Today's Mexican Food". Chapala Mexican Restaurant. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  15. S2CID 152733774
    .
  16. ^ "The Aztec or Mexica bottle gourd". www.mexicolore.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  17. ^ "The Food Timeline--Aztec, Maya & Inca foods". www.foodtimeline.org. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  18. ^ "Medicinal and Ritualistic Uses for Chocolate in Mesoamerica". HeritageDaily - Archaeology News. 2020-03-06. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  19. ^ Nell Lewis, for (23 March 2018). "How the ancient Maya reared dogs for food". CNN. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  20. ^ "Mesoamerica | Arizona Museum of Natural History". www.arizonamuseumofnaturalhistory.org. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  21. JSTOR 10.1086/ahr.111.3.660
    .
  22. ^ "Trove". trove.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  23. ISBN 978-0-8135-4496-0
    , retrieved 2021-08-11
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