Mayan Indian Foods

• Corn was used in most Mayan dishes.Maize image by Bapic from Fotolia.com
  
  The Maya were a great empire in southeast Mexico and Central America during the pre-classic period around 4,000 years ago. It is said that the Mayan civilization reached its peak somewhere in the time frame of 250 to 900 A.D. The Maya had very distinct foods that were an everyday basis for life. Most of these foods were native to the area while some were introduced by the Spanish.
  
  

Corn or Maize

• Corn served as a basis for most of the Mayan dishes. It was served in many different ways but was most commonly seen as tortillas, tamales and in a cornbread-type form. In unusual instances, the corn was ground up into a liquid form, but this was not usually seen for everyday dishes. Mayan families also made other dishes like posole and atole. Posole was a thick stew of meat and corn. Atole was a simple recipe that consisted of cornmeal and water and had the consistency of porridge. Some families had their own recipes for maize dishes. Corn was used differently throughout the Mayan community, but remains the main staple food of their diet.
  
  

Meat

• Mayans ate many kinds of meat. Turkey, which was native to the area, was a common meat found in many different dishes. Chicken was later introduced by the Spanish and became a frequently eaten meat as well. Seafood was plentiful through fishing and was commonly stewed. Conchinita Pibil was a very well-known Mayan dish often consisting of wild boar cooked in a coal-filled pot. The Maya ate various exotic animals from the surrounding area and rain forest, including manatee, monkey, iguana and armadillo.
  
  

Desserts

• Chocolate was typically used as a drink. Beekeeping made it possible for honey to be made for sweetening maize dishes and drinks. Another popular dessert was flan, rich custard introduced by the Spanish. Torta Del Cielo is a cake that is still seen in Mexican culture today, which was made from almonds, rum and ten eggs. The cake was usually served at weddings and very special occasions.
  
  

Cultivated Foods

• The Maya were famous for cultivating corn but they also cultivated many other crops and foods. Beans, squash, sweet potatoes and tomatoes are just a few of these common foods. They also cultivated many other fruits and vegetables. Guava, papaya and plums were very common in sweet dishes. Vanilla beans were used for desserts and for sweetening and flavoring drinks. Chili peppers were used to add pizazz to favored dishes.