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Aztec food
Aztec food was a rich combination of many foods that we take for granted today. Not only is much of this rich
diet still common in Mexico today, it's spread around the world. Here's a look at some of what the ancient
Aztec peoples ate:
Maize
Maize (also called corn or mealies) was the staple grain of the Aztec empire. Maize has been domesticated for
thousands of years, and it likely first came into common use in Mexico, spreading to the rest of the world from
there. Mexico is still one of the world's top maize growing countries. Corn could be ground into flour and used
to make tortillas (a sort of flat bread, sometimes used to wrap a filling to make tacos), tamales and even
drinks. Corn has transformed the world perhaps more than any other food. Today it's used not only in food,
including candy and of course feeding the cattle that is eaten, it's even used in things like sticky tape and
making boxes.
Variety
Aztec food also included beans and squash. Of course, maize and beans are still a
cornerstone of the Mexican diet, a healthy combination especially if you're not eating
a lot of meat.
To add to these three, the Mexicas (people of the Aztec Empire) ate chillies,
tomatoes, limes, cashews, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and of course
chocolate. The Mexicas domesticated bees for honey, and turkeys for meat and eggs,
also dogs and duck. They hunted and fished as well, and used animals such as deer,
rabbits, iguana, fish and shrimp for food. Even insects, such as grasshoppers and
worms were harvested. These various types of meat made up only a very minor part
of the Aztec food that was eaten.
Large amounts of algae were collected from the surface of the Texcoco Lake
water. High in protein, this algae (known as tecuitlatl) was used to make bread and cheese type foods. This
algae is still used in Mexico as a fertilizer.
The Aztecs often cooked food bundled in the Maguey plant leaves. This dish is called Mixiotes, and it's still
eaten in Mexico today. Different leaves are used because the Maguey population was suffering.
Aztec Meats
Many Aztec other recipes included meat. Most of the meat added to Aztec foods was gained through hunting,
such as geese, ducks, deer, and rabbits. In fact, the Aztecs only raised two animals for meat: dogs and turkeys.
Chocolate
One of the greatest gifts to the world from Mexico is chocolate. The cocoa bean was highly treasured in the Aztec
Empire. In fact, the bean was used as a currency, as well as Aztec food. Or, in this case, drink.
The cocoa beans were used to make a thick chocolate drink, but far different than the hot chocolate we know today.
Since they didn't use sugar, the Mexicas added peppers, corn meal and spices. A similar hot drink is still found in Mexico
today with corn, known as atole.
The word chocolate even comes from an Aztec/Mayan word chocolatl.
Aztec farming
Aztec farming has become most famous because of the brilliant chinampas system that Aztec farmers
used. Certainly there were a number of techniques used in the Aztec empire. But with the great city of
Tenochtitlan built on swampy but rich ground, the chinampas became key to the food production of the
people.
Chinampas were, of course, not just used for the capitol city, but throughout the Valley of Mexico around the
lake bed. As the empire grew, more sources of food were required. At times this meant conquering more
land, other times it meant expanding the chinampa system.
Constructing chinampas
To build the chinampas, plots about 30m by
2.5m were staked out on the lake bed. A fence
was woven between the stakes, and the area
would be filled in with mud and vegetation.
The next rectangle would be parallel to this
one, with room for a canal in between, where
canoes could pass through. These canals of
course offered irrigation, and provided food of
their own such as fish and water fowl. Often
willows would be planted along the edge of
the plot, to provide further stable fencing as
well as shade (though they would be carefully
pruned to allow enough sunlight into the farm
plot).
In the end, the garden plot would be no more than a few feet above the level of the lake. They were supported
with the Aztec's complex irrigation and waterway systems, which included dams, aqueducts and gates.
Aztec Farm crops
Chinampas weren't the only type of farming that was used. There were crops on the mainland, as well as gardens, both
small personal gardens and large experimental gardens. The gardens were a common feature in the homes of the ruling
class. The people would also collect naturally growing food, such as algae in the water.
Farms included crops of maize, beans, and squash. Tomatoes and chilies were also popular crops. But the gardens and
particularly the chinampas were used to grow large amounts of flowers, making the Aztec farming land an even more lush
and colorful place.
The Aztec farmers
There were different types of farmers in central Mexico at this time. You could describe some of them as laborers and
others as specialists. Laborers were of various types, some who basically worked as farm hands or even slaves, others
who were responsible for the community farms. Specialists (called horticulturalists in Bernardino de Sahagún's General
History of the Things of New Spain) would be responsible to know what seeds were the best, how the crop rotation should
work, and what would grow best on what land. Fertilization and irrigation was also important, and the land would often
be fertilized with human "manure".
Remnants of Aztec farming today
Most of the chinampas have been abandoned and filled in - they weren't used as much after the conquest. When the
Spanish arrived, the chinampas covered nearly 9000 hectares. However, some remain in use today. Remnants of the canal
system can be seen in Xochimilco. You can still visit chinampas today if you take the time.