Pre-Conquest Aztec

Cooking

By

Jennifer Edwards-Ring

Introduction

I became interested in the Aztec culture, when I met my future husband, Ixtlilixochitl, the first Aztec persona in the Middle Kingdom. Since I enjoy period cookery, I became especially interested in Aztec cuisine. In this article I will breifly discuss Aztec culture and cooking. I will also give some recipes I have come up with, based on descriptions of Aztec foods and products available to the native Central American peoples. These recipes are only educated guesses, since the Aztecs left no written recipes of their cooking.

The Aztecs were the native American peoples the Spanish encountered in what is today central Mexico. The Aztec empire was conquered by the Spanish explorer/soldier Hernan Cortez in 1519-21. Cortez killed the emperor Montezuma, subjugated his people and claimed the empire in the name of Spain. When most people hear about the Aztecs and food, they immediately think of the horror stories told by the Spanish of human sacrifice and cannibalism. While the Aztecs (one of many cultures) did practice these things, the numbers and frequency are subject to much debate. Most modern scholars agree that this was probably done on a very limited bases and only for sacred purposes. However, there is much more to the Aztec diet than cannibalism. Many modern Mexican dishes can trace their roots back to the Aztec culture. Many present day Mexicans have Aztec ancestry and Aztec foods were passed down through the generations. Some of the foods that are popular in Mexico today that have Aztec roots are: tamales, tortillas, salsa, guacamole, fajitas and refried beans. The Aztecs used tortillas as bread, often wrapping meat and vegetables in them to eat. They flavored their dishes with chilies for spice and honey for sweetening. Flowers and certain seeds were also used as seasonings.

Aztec markets

The Aztec empire was very cosmopolitan. Most people in the capital city and surrounding areas bought their food at the markets, rather than growing it themselves. In the market at Tlatelolco 25,000 people visited daily and on the special market day, held every fifth day, as many as 40,000 to 50,000 people crowded the market. Tlatelolco was adjacent to the capital city of Tenochtitlan. It has been estimated the capital and surrounding cities had a population of up to one million people. Prepared foods as well as raw food products could be purchased at the market and food vedors were very popular.

Aztec Foodstuffs

The Aztec diet was mainly vegetarian. Corn was the main grain, however amaranth was also used to some extent. All types of corn were eaten. It was dried for tortillas, or eaten off the cob, or eaten as "infant corn". Popcorn was even eaten ceremonially. Tortillas were considered the bread of the Aztec diet. The Codex Mendoza even shows the daily ration of tortillas to children. Every meal was served with tortillas and food was often wrapped or rolled into them (like tacos ). Red and green tomatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, avocados, onions and beans were also eaten in great quantities. The white potato, though New World, was not introduced into Central Mexico until after the Conquest. It is native to Peru. Fruit was also very prevalent in the Aztec diet, guava being very popular. The bean was probably the most significant source of protein in the Aztec diet. Meat was harder to come by, but the turkey , dog, Muscovy duck and "bees" had been domesticated for this purpose. The "bees" were actially wasps, and were used not only for honey production but the larvae were also eaten. Fish, wild fowl, venison and picary (a type of wild pig) were also hunted. Meat was usually reserved for the nobility (something in common with Europe). Peanuts were also a source of protein. Honey was probably the only sweetener used by the Aztecs, as they did not have sugarcane or the sugar beet. The Aztecs also did not have the European honey bee Apis mellifera. These were not imported to the New World until much later. The honey wasp Brachygastra mellifica, however is native to the Southwestern United States and Mexico and is very similar to the honey bee. There is some speculation that "honey" was also made from boiling down maugay syrup. Honey is listed as tribute in the Aztec Codices. Flowers, berries and seeds were sources of flavorings and the vanilla flower and bean were used by the Aztecs. Pulque, or the furmented juice of the maguey cactus was used for ceremonial, as well as culinary purposes. This was one of the few sources of alcohol is the Aztec culture. Pulque drinking was limited and drunkeness could be a capitol offence.

Food Preparation

The maize was ground with a metate and mano, a three legged grinding stone and cylindrical hand stone. Tortillas were cooked on a comalli, which set directly on the hearth, and tamales were steamed in an olla, a necked pottery jar with two handles. All of these cooking instruments, as well as many others are pictured in the Codex Mendoza, an Aztec pictogram prepared for Emperor Charles V of Spain. Meat was either roasted over the hearth or boiled in the olla. All meals were cooked over the hearth, which was made up of three stones. There seems to be no evidence that foods were fried. The Aztecs didn’t have a good source of oil and there is no Nahuatl word for frying. The three stoned hearth was the most sacred part of the house and the stones were named: Mixzoatl, Tozpan and Iuitl. Every girl was expected to know how to cook, and when she was born her umbilical cord was buried under the metate. However, it does not appear that noble women cooked on a daily basis. Female slaves were prized if they could cook well. Also, as mentioned above, prepared foods could be purchased at the markets. Sauces were prepared to accompany Aztec dishes and were often made of tomatoes and chilies. The Nahuatl word for sauce is molli, from which the modern Mexican word mole comes. In Mexico today a mole is a usually a sauce which contains chocolate. Mole was invented in a convent in Puebla de los Angeles, and is not of Aztec origin. However, the word guacamole has Aztec roots. The word for avocado in Nahuatl is ahuacatl. thus, a sauce made form this would be ahuacatlmolli, or guacamole.

Chocolate

When the modern world thinks of chocolate, we think of a rich, sweet, smooth concoction which we use to flavor our milk, candy and desserts. However, that is far from the flavorings origins. The Aztecs introduced the Spanish to chocolate during the first contact between Cortez and the Aztec Empire. Chocolatl is the Nahuatl word for the drink made from cacao, the bean of the Theobroma cacao plant. The word cacao is a Mayan word and the plant, which originated in what is today Ecuador was probably brought to the Maya by the Olmec. The Aztecs, in turn received cacao as tribute from the conquered tribes of the Maya region. Each year the Aztecs received 980 loads of 24,000 beans each load. Cacao was highly prized by the Aztecs. They used the beans as money. Items could be bought for a predetermined number of beans and counterfeiting was not uncommon. They thought the drink chocolatl could do many things including invigorating and refreshing a person. It was also thought to be an antidepressant, probably due to its caffeine content. The Aztecs did think, however, that too much chocalatl could be addictive and always stressed moderation when drinking it. Chocolatl was drunk at the end of a banquet or dinner. Women mixed it and were greatly lauded if the drink was produced correctly. The beans were ground, then mixed with tepid water and beaten with a wooden whisk. The foam was then removed and flavorings or ground maize were added to the mixture. These flavorings were usually flowers or ground peppers. Sometimes vanilla pods or honey were added. The foam was then returned, similar to cappuccino, then served. It is interesting to note that chocolatl was never served hot and nor was it served to women. Noblewomen ate separately from the men, similar to the Greeks, and were served a different drink at the end of the meal. Bernal Diaz, when meeting Montezuma described chocolatl being served this way:

The cups chocolatl was served in also made up part of the tribute the Aztecs received. They are listed in the Tribute Roll of Montezuma, the second part of the Codex Mendoza. The modern Mexicans have retained some of the Aztec elements in their traditional Mexican hot chocolate. Cacao is ground with almonds, cinnamon and sugar, then dried. This is then melted into hot milk and whisked with a molinillo, an elaborately carved wooden whisk. The addition of spices and nuts, and the foam are all that is left of the Aztec chocolatl. The modern Mexicans also cook with cacao in mole sauces. I have found no evidence that the Aztecs cooked with chocolate, and served it only as a special drink.

Recipes:

Soak beans overnight and cook until tender. Drain off most of the water. Add onion and peppers cook until tender. Drain off the rest of the water and mash. Prepare the tamale while this is warm, as it is hard to work with cold.

Tomal dough: (this is a modern tamale dough recipe, it works better with the lard)

Whip 1 1/3 c lard until fluffy. Beat in flour and water, alternating each. Beat in melted lard.

To assemble tomal:

Place approximately 2 tbs of dough in the center of the tamale and flatten. Place the same amount of filling on the dough and cover with 1 tbs of dough. Fold husks over like an envelope and tie with string (the Aztecs used a piece of corn husk). Steam tamales for 1 hour or until dough pulls away from the husk.

Uexolotl veiltexcalli (Turkey with tortillas)

Large corn tortillas

Cook turkey, vegitables, broth and seasonings in a sauce pan until the vegetables are tender. Wrap a few tablespoons of filling into each tortilla and serve.

Xictomatlimolli Red tomato sauce (hot)

Chop all ingredients very fine, especially the hot peppers. Simmer over low flame until reduced and thick.

Texochilimolli Green pepper sauce (mild)

Finely chop all ingredients and serve fresh.

Chocolatl Chocolate drink

Mix together and beat for several seconds in an electric blender or by hand. Serve in small cups. (The honey and vanilla can be omitted and chili powder can be added.)

* I use Natural Cocoa Powder from Penzy’s Spice. It is not Dutch processed and still retains all of the fat found in the bean.

Bibliography