Mesoamerican cuisine – (covering Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, northern Costa Rica and Mexico)[1] has four main staples: maize (many varieties based on what climate it is grown in),[2] beans,[3] squash and chili.[4] Other plant-based foods used include: amaranth, avocado,[5] cassava, cherimoya, chia, chocolate,[6] guava,[7] nanche, pineapple, 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]
The animals used in Mesoamerican cuisine were mainly dogs, turkeys, deer and the Muscovy duck.[19]
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]
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Caribbean |
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Central America |
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Middle America |
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South America |
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Dependencies not included. Semi-autonomous territories are in italics. |