History
What was eaten in pre-Hispanic Mexico?
By
Gretel Morales - 2022-05-25T16:32:17Z
When it comes to pre-Hispanic food, we could talk about cooked Otomí, Maya, Zapotec, and more, but bibliographic sources are few and usually focus on the gastronomy of Tenochtitlán. On this occasion, we tell you about pre-Hispanic cuisine, which still has an impact on the culinary offerings of Mexico City, as we still enjoy tortillas, mole, pozole, tlacoyos, salsas, and more. You can also read: Pre-Hispanic food recipes that we still enjoyWhat was eaten in pre-Hispanic Mexico? The work of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún provides information about what the inhabitants of ancient Mexico ate from an external perspective, making it very useful for understanding the eating habits of the ancient inhabitants of our country. According to Arqueología Mexicana magazine, the General History of the Things of New Spain addresses all aspects of pre-Hispanic gastronomy, from what was sold in the markets to what was eaten at festivals and what foods were intended for the gods. For the natives, food was of great importance. On one hand, food allowed them to carry out their daily activities, but it was also part of rituals and celebrations. Therefore, we can say that food was part of daily life but also had a mystical character. In terms of the food enjoyed every day, the supply of fruits and vegetables was possible thanks to the Mexican milpa system, as well as the chinampas. This is where maize, beans, and squash were cultivated, the so-called “Mesoamerican triad.” You can also read: 3 Pre-Hispanic DrinksIt is worth noting that in addition to maize, beans, and squash, a wide variety of chiles, tomatoes, chayote, nopales, huauzontles, tejocote, and zapote were also consumed, among others. In Book X of the Florentine Codex, Bernardino de Sahagún details the consumption of beverages with cacao and atole, made from maize. He also mentions the process of nixtamalization, the existence of pulque, and the use of amaranth. In addition to the chronicles of Bernardino de Sahagún, the colonizer Bernal Díaz del Castillo also detailed pre-Hispanic cuisine, from what was sold in the Tlatelolco market to the lavish banquets of Emperor Moctezuma II. According to the chronicler, beans, vegetables, quelites, chia, honey, chickens, turkeys, fish, rabbits, deer, and more were sold in the markets. In the case of the nobility, Bernal Díaz explains that the cooks offered up to 30 different stews to Moctezuma, which were served in clay pots. The stews were accompanied by tortillas, but a wide variety of fruits and beverages based on cacao were also consumed. You can also read: Pipián, a pre-Hispanic dish with a lot of historyFood for Rituals In those years, various rituals were held in honor of the gods, in which food was part of the offerings. A clear example is the tamales, which were regularly offered. When an offering was made for Cihuapilli, the goddess of women who die in childbirth, tamales were prepared in the shape of butterflies or thunder. On the other hand, tamales and pulque were also offered to Huehuetéotl, the god of fire. In addition to products made with maize, foods made from amaranth were also essential in the offerings. “Rodelas, saetas, swords, dolls, human forms, bones, and images of gods and mountains were prepared, whose teeth were simulated with pumpkin seeds, and the eyes with black ayocotes,” according to the archaeology magazine.