Jeffrey Salazar
The Aztec diet was mostly plant-based, with maize, beans, squash, chillies, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, avocados, and fruit forming the basis of most meals. Insects were also a common source of protein, and the Aztecs domesticated turkeys, ducks, and dogs for meat and eggs. The Aztecs also ate fish and wild game, including deer, rabbits, armadillos, iguanas, and dozens of species of birds. Their diet was rich and varied, and their advanced agricultural techniques allowed them to cultivate a wide range of crops and create a diverse cuisine.
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What You'll Learn
Maize was the staple food
Maize was eaten in many forms, the most common being tortillas, ideally fresh and warm off the clay griddle. It was also eaten as corn on the cob, corn soup or stew, maize gruel, and tamales. Maize was also used to make drinks such as atole, a thin gruel of fine maize flour in water flavoured with chilis, fruit, honey, or cactus sap syrup.
The maize grain was cooked in an alkaline solution, usually limewater, in a process called nixtamalization. This process significantly raised the nutritional value of the maize, transforming it from simple carbohydrates to a nutritional package of calcium, iron, copper, and zinc. It also made the maize easier to grind.
Maize was so important to the Aztecs that it was one of the constants of their cuisine, along with beans, salt, and chilli peppers. This combination of maize and other basic foods provided the average Aztec with a well-rounded diet without any significant deficiencies in vitamins or minerals.
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Beans, vegetables and fruit were also staples
The most important fruit and vegetables in the Aztec diet were chilli peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, avocados and squash. Squash included courgettes and pumpkins, and the seeds were eaten fresh, dried or roasted. Chilli peppers were also a staple, and came in a wide variety of species and cultivars, some domesticated and many of them wild. The peppers were often dried and ground for storage and use in cooking, and some were roasted beforehand to impart different tastes. Flavours varied significantly from one type of chilli pepper to another, including sweet, fruity, earthy, smoky, and fiery hot.
The Aztecs also ate various mushrooms and funghi, including the parasitic corn smut which grows on ears of corn. The main fruits consumed were guavas, papayas, custard apples, zapotes, mamey and chirimoyas.
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Insects were a common food source
The Aztec diet was largely plant-based due to the relative ease of growing crops compared to hunting. The most important staple food for the Aztecs was maize (corn), which played a central role in their culture and mythology. Maize was consumed at every meal by all social classes and came in various colours, textures, sizes, and qualities. It was prepared in many ways, including as tortillas, tamales, and ātōlli (maize gruel).
However, insects and other food sources were also important components of the Aztec diet. Insects were harvested from the fertile environment of Lake Texcoco, which also provided an abundant source of crayfish (acocils) and Spirulina algae. The lake was a valuable resource, providing a diverse range of aquatic animals and insects for the Aztecs to supplement their maize-heavy diets.
In addition to insects, the Aztecs also consumed various wild game and domesticated animals, such as dogs, turkeys, and ducks. They also fished and harvested algae from Lake Texcoco, using it to make tecuitlatl, a type of high-protein cake or bread. The Aztecs' diet was well-rounded and provided them with a diverse range of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
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Meat was a minor part of the diet
The Aztec diet was mostly vegetarian, with insects such as grasshoppers, ants, larvae, and worms being a common source of protein. The most important staple was maize, a crop that was so important to Aztec society that it played a central role in their culture and mythology. Maize was consumed at every meal by all social classes and came in various colours, textures, sizes, and qualities. It was eaten as corn tortillas, tamales, or ātōlli, maize gruel.
The other constants of Aztec food were salt and chilli peppers, with the basic definition of Aztec fasting being to abstain from these two. Beans were another staple, providing protein and being served at every meal. They were often boiled with other vegetables to make a soup or stew. The other major foods were squash, amaranth (or pigweed), and chia. The combination of maize and these basic foods would have provided the average, well-rounded Aztec diet without any significant deficiencies in vitamins or minerals.
While the Aztecs did eat meat, it was a minor part of their diet. They domesticated dogs, turkeys, and ducks for meat, and also ate honey from domesticated bees. They also hunted wild game, including deer, rabbits, hares, armadillos, wild boars, opossums, gophers, iguanas, and tapirs. As most people lived on or near a lake, fish was also a common food, as were insects and various species of birds.
The wealthy would have eaten more meat than common people, with banquets and feasts playing a key role in Aztec culture. These were determined by the religious calendar and were used as a display of material wealth.
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Chocolate was a luxury drink
The Aztec diet was mostly plant-based, with maize, beans, and squash forming the staples of their diet. Maize, in particular, was consumed at every meal by all social classes and played a central role in Aztec culture. It was considered sacred, with the Aztecs describing it as "precious, our flesh, our bones".
However, the Aztec diet also included various sources of animal protein. While most Aztecs only had access to insects and fish, the wealthy and elite enjoyed meat from domesticated and wild animals, including deer, rabbits, wild pigs, armadillos, iguanas, axolotls, and various birds.
Chocolate, derived from the cocoa bean, was a rare luxury in the Aztec Empire, favoured by rulers, warriors, and nobles. The cocoa bean was highly treasured and held symbolic value, even being used as a form of currency. The Aztecs consumed chocolate as a drink, flavoured with chilli peppers, honey, vanilla, and various spices and herbs. This drink, known as cacahuatl or "cacao water", was very different from the hot chocolate we know today, as the Aztecs did not use sugar. Instead, they added peppers, cornmeal, and spices to the drink.
The preparation of chocolate as a drink may have even played a part in the fall of the Aztec Empire. The Aztecs believed that the god Quetzalcoatl had brought cocoa beans from the tree of life to give to mankind. When Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico, the Aztecs believed him to be Quetzalcoatl returning and offered him chocolate. When Cortes substituted sugar for spices, chocolate became a commercial success, and its popularity spread beyond the Aztec Empire.
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Frequently asked questions
The most important staple food of the Aztecs was maize (corn), which was eaten at every meal by all social classes and played a central role in Aztec culture. It was consumed in many forms, including tortillas, tamales, corn on the cob, ātōlli (maize gruel), and pozole (a corn soup or stew).
The Aztecs commonly consumed beans, squash, chillies, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, avocados, and fruits such as guavas, papayas, and custard apples. They also ate a variety of insects, including grasshoppers, ants, larvae, and worms.
The wealthy Aztecs ate a wider variety of foods compared to the common people. They consumed various types of meat, including domesticated animals like turkeys, ducks, and dogs, as well as wild game such as deer and iguanas. They also ate many kinds of tortillas, tamales, and chocolate, which was a rare luxury.
