The ancient Mayan Indians have a very diverse diet, including the meat

they hunted, vegetables they grew, and fruits they picked.

Corn was one of the Mayan's favorite foods, and it also formed the

backbone of Mayan cuisine. At least three-fourths or more of the Mayan's

food was corn in some form. They made tortillas, a kind of cornmeal

pancake, tamales,and atole, a hot breakfast drink. Corn was so important to

early Mayans that he believed his creator had made the first man out of corn.

The Mayan's also worshipped a corn god to ensure a good harvest. A form

of corn was eaten at every Mayan meal.

The Mayan's diverse diet included wild game tracked by hunters and fish

caught in nearby rivers, lakes, and seas by the village fisherman. The Mayans

hunted wild turkey, duck, pheasant, and deer. One dish, called pejelagarto, was

an alligator-headed fish seasoned with amashito chile and lemon.

The Mayans also had tropical fruits, such as mangos, bananas, gauva,

papaya, pineapple, watermelon, and mamey. In some areas the Mayans used

honey and fruits to make liqueurs. Mangos, bananas, and gauvas were used

for breakfast preserves. A superb dessert pie is made from the sour orange,

which is native to the Mayan region.

The ancient Maya lived in an agrarian society. They grew corn, beans,

squash, yucca, and a form of sweet potato. Their favorite food was corn,

which was eaten at every meal. Another favorite was boiled black beans.

The ancient Mayans also had chocolate. Chocolate comes from a bean on

the cacao tree. Chocolate was known as the "drink of the gods" because by law,

only nobility could drink it. An old story from Chiapas relates that after the

Spanish made chocolate widely available, the mestizos drank it in church to

sustain themselves during the long Masses. Today the Chiapas have a special

chocolate drink called tascalate. Tascalate is made from a mixture of chocolate,

ground pine nuts, achiote, vanilla, and sugar.

As you can see, the Mayans had a very diverse diet, from wild game to

tropical fruits to vegatables to the noble chocolate.

This page was created by Brandon, Courtney, Jonelle, and Amanda.