Download 3.6 An Invitation To Dine: Aztec Food and Drink

AN INVITATION TO DINE: AZTEC FOOD AND DRINK
The richest gift from the New World to the Old was not golden treasure but a wonderful variety
of new crops. Corn, beans, squash, tomatoes, limes, avocados, chiles, peanuts, cashews, turkeys,
pineapples, chewing gum, yams, potatoes, vanilla and chocolate all have their origin in the
Americas. Before 1492, these foods were completely unknown in Europe and their introduction
there by the early conquistadors made major changes in tastes and cuisine. Today it is hard to
imagine spaghetti without tomato based sauces, movies without popcorn, hamburgers without
french fries, the fourth of July without watermelon and corn on the cob and, of course, Christmas
dinner without turkey. All of these were products of the New World, developed over a long
period of time by the farmers of the Americas.
When Moctezuma II sat down to dinner he was served delicacies from all over the empire the
best the Aztec world had to offer Elegant dishes were prepared for him, covered with rich sauces
of tomatoes, chiles, herbs, chocolate and toasted seeds. Before dining Moctezuma carefully
washed his hands in a basin, then seated himself on a stool before a low table covered with a fine
white cloth. Secluded from the view of his court by a decorated wooden screen, he was served
by four beautiful young women who presented his meals on fine brightly colored ceramic dinner
ware imported from Cholula. He made his selection of dishes from over 300 prepared daily by
his chefs. The residue went to feed his large palace staff and retainers. Bernal Díaz, a soldier of
Cortés, gives us a lavish description of one of these royal meals.
For each meal his servants prepared for him... dishes cooked in their native style, which they put
over earthenware braziers to prevent them from getting cold. They cooked more than 300 plates
of food the great Moctezuma was going to eat...fowls, turkeys, pheasants, local partridges, quail,
tame and wild ducks, venison, wild boar, marsh birds, pigeons, hares and rabbits...His servants
brought him some of every kind of fruit that grew in the country... (and) two handsome women
served Moctezuma... with maize cakes kneaded with eggs...These maize cakes were very white
and were brought in on plates covered with clean napkins.
Bernal Díaz, 1963, pp. 225227
While eating Moctezuma was entertained by singing and dancing or by the antics of acrobats,
dwarfs and clowns with whom he shared special tidbits from his plate. At the end of the meal the
women brought him a drink of frothing chocolate in a cup made of pure gold and tubes of
tobacco to smoke. Then, we are told, he retired to rest.
The nobility of the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan and the wealthy Pochtecah merchants also
ate well. In the evening, often beginning as late as midnight, they entertained guests at great
banquets lit by burning torches. Crews of women cooks or caterers were brought in for the
occasion and spent days preparing dishes for these magnificent feasts. The menu was probably
similar to the one described by Bernal Díaz for Moctezuma's meal. At these elaborate gatherings
guests were draped with welcoming garlands of flowers and presented with gifts. After dinner
they were offered frothing cups of chocolate and pipes of tobacco to smoke. The evening often
ended with the consumption of hallucinogenic substances which induced vividly colored dreams.
The poor of the empire did not fare as well as the upper classes. Their simple meals were based
primarily on maize, or corn, grown in their own fields or bartered for in the market place. The
Aztecs believed that corn had been a gift to human kind from the the great god
Quetzalcoatl. Legend says that Quetzalcoatl watched a red ant gathering shelled corn from
within a mountain. In order to follow her and gain access to the grain:
...Quetzalcoatl changed himself into a black ant.
It is said that the red ant
guided Quetzalcoatl
to the foot of the Mountain
where they placed the corn.
Then Quetzalcoatl carried it
on his back to Tamoanchan.
Whereupon from it, the gods ate and ate
and later they put it into our mouths.
In León-Portilla, 1980, p.143
This precious sustenance maize, the basis of all life, was planted with sacred ritual and addressed
with prayers. Special Aztec godsand goddesses were associated with the corn plant in all stages
of its development, from the seed corn, to the tender first green sprouts, to the full ripe ear and
finally to the harvested ears that were dried for storage. Sahagún tells us of the prized white
maize ear grown on the irrigated lands and the lake edge chinampa fields of the Valley of
Mexico:
that of the irrigated lands,
that of the fields,
that of the chinampas...it is clear;
it is like a seashell,
very white;
it is like a crystal.
It is an ear of metal,
a green stone,
a bracelet precious,
our flesh, our bones.
Sahagún, book 11, p. 279
Corn was grown in many varieties and colors. Of the beautiful blue corn it was said:
Its husk is dark blue.
It is wonderful,
marvelous,
coveted,
desirable...I honor it.
I desire it,
esteem it.
I consider it with respect.
I prize it.
Sahagún, Book ii, p. 280
Women regarded corn with special tenderness and gently breathed upon it with warm moist
breath as it was dropped into the cooking pot. If spilt the kernels of maize were carefully
gathered up to prevent the threat of famine. The ears of corn were used at all stages of growth
and prepared in many different ways from the quickly simmered small first sweet ears to
popcorn. The daily processing of the kernels from the stored dried ears consumed thousands of
hours of every womans life. It required long periodsof soaking, washing and then grinding on a
metate to finally produce the smooth meal or masa which formed the basis for so many Aztec
dishes. Flavored in various ways, corn was consumed as tortillas, atole (a thick drink made of
flavered ground corn and water), gruel and, at special events, tamales, the favorite dish of Aztec
Mexico. Sahagún describes various kinds of these delicacies:
White tamales with beans forming a sea shell on top;
white tamales with maize grains thrown in;
...tamales of meat cooked with maize and yellow chile;
...Tamales made of maize flowers with ground amaranth seeds and cherries added;
...tamales made with honey.
Sahagún, 1979, pp. 37-38
While tamales were probably a frequent dish of the nobility, for the common people they were a
treat reserved for special feast days or celebrations.
In addition to corn, vegetables such as amaranth, beans, squash, tomatoes, pads of nopal cactus
and chiles were common fare. They were grown along with corn on man-made drained fields
called chinampas which filled the edges of the lake. These intensively farmed chinampa fields,
stretching in every direction, surrounded the great Aztec island city of Tenochtitlan. Constantly
renewed with rich soil from the lake bottom, they could provide up to seven crops a year for the
rapidly growing capital of the empire. From these chinampa fields canoes carried crops across
the lake and into the canals of the city where they could be directly unloaded at the docks of the
bustling marketplace of Tenochtitlan.
Also found in the markets were turkeys and small hairless dogs which along with muscovy ducks
were the only animals in Prehispanic Mexico domesticated for food. Considered great
delicacies, they were primarily reserved for the tables of the wealthy where they were served in
elegant highly seasoned stews.
Wild foods of various kinds supplemented the Aztec diet. Mushrooms, wild greens and tubers of
various kinds were gathered from the fields. Ants, grasshoppers, and grubs were collected,
rabbits and hares were snared and game was hunted in the forests. All kinds of fish were
popular. Indeed it is claimed that Moctezuma was served fresh fish brought daily by runners all
the way from the Gulf Coast. Most fish, however, came from the shallow lakes which filled the
Valley of Mexico. Fishermen worked from canoes with hand nets, spears and lines to procure
the pescado blanco, described by the Spanish as particularly sweet and delicious. Other aquatic
foods were also traditional sustenance. People gathered from the rich lake environment
salamanders, shrimps, frogs, water snakes, and larvae. In addition great flocks of ducks, geese
and other birds wintered in the valley and were hunted with atlatls and darts or with entangling
nets. Their meat and eggs supplied a valuable source of protein in the native diet.
Among the Aztecs the only significant Alcoholic beverage was pulque. It was made from "aqua
de miel", a liquid or sap carefully harvested from the maguey cactus plant and fermented. Heavy
restrictions and laws against drunkenness suggest that drinking may have been a major problem
in Aztec society. Being caught drunk in public was a serious crime, punished with severe
penalties. Though the drunken commoner might get off for a first offense with only having his
head shaved, the death penalty was enforced for nobles and dignitaries. In the conservative
Aztec world drinking was considered the source of many undesirable traits such as excessive
gambling, adultery and laziness. Yet the elders of the society, those beyond their productive
work years, were allowed to consume as much pulque as they wished. In Aztec Codices they
can be seen gathered around a large jar of pulque drinking the liquid from gourd cups.
With the arrival of the Spanish many elements of the Precolumbian diet changed. Grapes and
barley to make wine and beer were quickly introduced into colonial Mexico. Chickens and pigs
became favorite foods and milk, butter, cheese, sugar, beef and mutton were added to the native
cuisine. However, as in the Prehispanic period, the masses of common people were often unable
to afford the new products or preferred the old ways. Even today many Mexicans still consume
the same foods favored by their ancestors for thousands of years. The busy markets of modern
Mexico reflect these traditional food preferences. In towns and cities throughout Mexico garden
produce is carried into town from small outlying farms. Seated on the ground, women carefully
lay out their mounds of ripe tomatoes, green nopal cactus pads, and piles of beans, corn and
squash on woven mats. Shoppers inspect each item and carry their purchases home to be
prepared in age old recipes. The tortilla, not wheat bread, is still the most important of all foods,
though except in very isolated areas the daily task of grinding corn on a stone metate has almost
disappeared. In the city tortillas can now be purchased fresh from the Tortilleria and in the the
villages the hard dried grains of maize are now ground daily by the local mill. There, however,
the housewife still goes home to pat the damp corn masa into tortillas that will be baked in the
traditional way on a comal. The early morning rhythm of the pat pat of hands forming the thin
corn cakes is still one of the pleasantest sounds to be heard in the streets and courtyards of rural
Mexico.
Today a Precolumbian feast can still be prepared using only the foods and ingredients of
Prehispanic Mesoamerica.
MENU:
Appetizers:
Guacamole with baked crisp tortilla chips, popcorn, roasted peanuts, toasted pumpkin
seeds, miniature steamed tamales filled with beans and chiles.
First Course:
Ceviche with fresh fish prepared in a salsa of lime and hot chiles.
Second Course:
Roast turkey with native sage, yams prepared with honey, baked squash, salad of tomatoes and
jicama with fresh lime. Freshly baked tortillas.
Dessert:
Fresh fruit cup with pineapple, mangos and papaya.
Drinks:
Tamarindo juice, pulque with lime, Chocolate, hot or cold prepared with vanilla and honey.
GIFTS OF THE AMERICAS
The richest gift from the New World to the Old was not gold but a wonderful variety of new
crops. Corn, beans, squash, tomatoes, limes, avocados, jicama, papaya, mangoes, guavas, chiles,
peanuts, cashews, turkeys, pineapples, yams, potatoes, vanilla and chocolate all have their origin
in the Americas. Before 1492 these foods were completely unknown in Europe, and their
introduction there by the early conquistadors led to major changes in worldwide tastes and
cuisine. Today it's hard to imagine spaghetti without tomato-based sauces, movies without
popcorn, hamburgers without french fries, the fourth of July without watermelon and corn on the
cob and, of course, Thanksgiving dinner without turkey. All of these were products of the New
World, developed over a long period of time by the farmers of the Americas. In addition,
Prehispanic dishes such as tamales, guacamole, tacos, chile salsas, tostadas, beans, tortillas and
cocoa have become popular all over the world.
The New World lacked, however, the domesticated animals so essential in the European
diet. Dogs, turkeys and ducks were the only animals raised for food in the Americas, though
wild game, reptiles, fish, birds of many kinds and their eggs added protein to the Precolumbian
diet. The alcoholic drinks of the Old World were also absent in the New. Only pulque, distilled
from the juice of the maguey plant, was consumed as an intoxicating beverage. Thus the arrival
of the Spanish had a significant impact on the native diet. Grapes and barley to make wine and
beer were soon introduced. Chickens and pigs became favorite foods and milk, butter, cheese,
sugar, beef and mutton were added to the Precolumbian cuisine. However even today many
people throughout the Americas prefer the old ways and traditional culinary practices. In
Mexico, particularly, ties to the past are strong and evident. People continue to plant and
consume the foods favored by their ancestors for thousands of years. The busy markets of
modern towns and villages reflect these traditional food preferences. Throughout Mexico garden
produce is carried into town from small outlying farms. As in the Prehispanic period, women
still seat themselves on the ground and carefully lay out on woven mats mounds of ripe
tomatoes, green nopal cactus pads, and piles of beans, corn and squash for sale. Shoppers
scrutinize the displays, carrying their purchases home to be prepared according to age-old
recipes. The corn tortilla, not wheat bread, remains the most important food staple. In the city
tortillas can be purchased fresh from the corner tortilleria, while in the villages the dried maize is
now ground daily by the local mill rather than by hand on metates. In many regions today's
housewife, like her Prehispanic predecessor, still pats the damp corn masa into tortillas to be
baked on the traditional comal. The pleasant rhythmic pat pat of hands shaping the thin corn
cakes still punctuates early morning in the streets and courtyards of rural Mexico.
Other contributions found their way to the Old World from the Americas. These included
tobacco for pipes, cigars and cigarettes, chicle for chewing gum, and colorful flowers such as the
marigold for European gardens. Also adopted were new medicinal herbs for healing and
relieving pain, and steam baths, manipulation and massage for treatment of injuries.
Another New World crop, rubber, changed the European concept of sports and games
forever. Until the soldiers of Cortés watched the swift ritual game of tlachtli being played on the
stucco ball court of the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan, no European had ever seen a bouncing
rubber ball. At first the Spanish thought the bouncing balls must have magical qualities, a spirit
inside of them that made them arch and bounce against the walls of the court and the bodies of
the players. It didn't take them long to recognize the potential of the strange new substance and
adopt it as their own. Most modern ball games derive from this ancient American "sport of
kings", played for over 3000 years before Cortés first stepped foot in Mesoamerica.
European adventurers and conquistadors swarmed to the New World searching for the wealth of
the Americas. They thought to find it in precious metals, spices and jewels; instead they found it
in something quite different. The true treasure and the greatest gift of the New World to the Old
was the rich new cornucopia of crops.
Q&A’s
1.Why do you think “Moctezuma’s” royal meals were so elaborate?
2. Why do think there was such a difference in between how the nobility and the working classes
ate?
3. Why did corn play such an imortant role?
4.Why were the Chinampa fields vital to the Aztec?
5. What is pulque? What was the Aztec view of drunkeness?
6. What were some of foods introduced to the old world after 1492?
7. What was rubber used for?