Maya Cuisine, Chichen Itza

Let me tell you a little about Maya cuisine. As an ancient civilization, Maya cuisine has naturally developed over thousands of years. The result is a beautifully rich culinary tradition with complex flavors, unique ingredients, and special techniques passed down through the generations.

One of the most distinctive features of Maya cuisine is the use of maize (corn), which is considered a sacred plant by the Maya people. Corn is used for making dishes like tortillas, tamales, and sweetened corn-based drinks.

While corn was the most important crop for the Maya, they also cultivated other staple crops like beans and squash. These were often grown together in the same fields, a practice known as "the three sisters". They also grew avocados, papayas, bananas, guavas, tomatoes, and chili peppers. Oregano, vanilla, and coriander were raised for seasoning and flavoring, while amaranth and sunflowers were planted for their edible seeds.

Cacao beans were carefully cultivated and grown exclusively in sacred groves because the Mayans believed the beans were a gift from the gods. Once harvested, the beans were ground up with spices and served as a chocolate drink for the ruling class. The beans were so highly valued that they were often used as currency.

Eating meat was uncommon, as the Maya were primarily farmers and fishermen. However, deer, guinea pig, iguana and armadillo, to name a few, were sometimes hunted and eaten during festivals, as well as fish, lobsters and shrimps.

Besides the usual grilling and steaming, there was a pretty cool traditional cooking method called pit cooking, where they wrapped the food in banana leaves, buried it in a hole, and cooked it very slowly with hot rocks.

While Maya dishes have evolved and modified to suit modern tastes, here are a few delicious dishes enjoyed today:

● Tamales: corn husk-wrapped bundles filled with corn flour dough and meat or vegetables cooked in chilli, garlic and cumin sauce.

● Guacamole: crushed avocados with chilli, garlic, cilantro, onions, and lime.

● Chilmole: a traditional meat-based stew seasoned with red-dried chili peppers, garlic, cumin, and other spices.

● Traditional Maya breakfast: scrambled eggs, a side of black beans, queso blanco (white cheese), and warm yellow corn tortillas, finished with a hot coffee made from local beans.

Is anybody hungry? I sure am. What is your favourite Maya or Yucatan dish?