Gastronomy in Mesoamerica: The History of Indigenous People’s Diets Before and After European Contact
Written by Charles River Editors
Narrated by Daniel Houle
4/5
()
About this audiobook
Indigenous groups settling in Mesoamerica had different languages, political and social organizations, traditions, and beliefs; however, there were a series of traits that included the use and consumption of many food sources present throughout the entire territory. The domestication of important plants like maize, beans, squash, and chili peppers eventually led to full-scale agricultural societies supporting large populations through intensified food production and complex trade networks.
Anyone who delves deeply into Mexico's ancient history will be surprised to find that most food sources consumed by many Prehispanic people are still present in the everyday Mexican diet, as are many cooking techniques dating back to that time. Contemporary Mexican cuisine incorporates quite a lot from its ancient gastronomical ancestor, including the nutritional benefits of its main staples, and it is the result of a living mestizaje or mixture of old Indigenous culinary traditions with European ingredients. In that sense, what we currently call Mexican gastronomy is the fusion of Prehispanic and Spanish elements.
Prehispanic gastronomy included a wide variety of foodstuffs, materials, methods, and cooking techniques. Ancient Mesoamericans used all of the parts of the plants and animals they consumed. Elements not eaten would be transformed into tools or utensils. After the Spanish had conquered the area, the diversity of ingredients native to Mesoamerica were easily combined with European recipes, products, and cooking techniques to develop a whole new variety of flavors and textures.
More audiobooks from Charles River Editors
The East India Company: The History of the British Empire's Most Famous Mercantile Company Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rape of Nanking: The History and Legacy of the Notorious Massacre during the Second Sino-Japanese War Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Project MK-Ultra: The History of the CIA’s Controversial Human Experimentation Program Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ur: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Sumerian Capital Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gnosticism: The History and Legacy of the Mysterious Ancient Religion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mysteries of the South: Ghosts, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena in Dixie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5J. Robert Oppenheimer: The Life and Legacy of the Father of the Atomic Bomb Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mossad: The History and Legacy of Israel’s National Intelligence Agency Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Nineveh: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Assyrian Capital Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Legends of the West: Deadwood, South Dakota Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Arnold Rothstein and Meyer Lansky: The Lives and Legacies of the Gangsters Who Reformed Organized Crime in America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Life and Trial of Lizzie Borden: The History of 19th Century America's Most Famous Murder Case Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mysterious Midwest: Mysteries, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena in America's Heartland Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung: The Pioneering Lives and Works of History’s Most Influential Psychologists Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Denisovans: The History of the Extinct Archaic Humans Who Spread Across Asia during the Paleolithic Era Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Battle of Hamburger Hill: The History and Legacy of One of the Vietnam War's Most Controversial Battles Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ancient and Medieval Conspiracy Theories: The History of the World’s Most Persistent Conspiracy Theories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Gastronomy in Mesoamerica
Related audiobooks
Tlaloc: The History of the Aztec God of Rain and Giver of Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Huitzilopochtli: The History of the Aztec God of War and Human Sacrifice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quetzalcoatl: The History and Legacy of the Feathered Serpent God in Mesoamerican Mythology Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Delicious: The Evolution of Flavor and How It Made Us Human Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mississippian Culture: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Indigenous Culture in North America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFire And Blood: A History Of Mexico Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fruit from the Sands: The Silk Road Origins of the Foods We Eat Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chile Peppers: A Global History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Truth about Baked Beans: An Edible History of New England Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Secrets of Mesoamerica: From Aztec Kings to Mayan Mythology Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMaya Civilization: A Complete Overview Of The Maya History & Maya Mythology Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Francisco Pizarro: The Spanish Explorer and Conquistador in Peru Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hippie Food: How Back-to-the-Landers, Longhairs, and Revolutionaries Changed the Way We Eat Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5California: The History and Legacy of the Land Before and After It Joined the United States Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ancient Origins of Mesoamerica: Fresh Insights into the Civilizations of the Americas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIncas: A Comprehensive Look at the Largest Empire in the Americas Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mexican History: An In-Depth Look at the Mexican People and Places That Shaped the Nation Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Colonial Argentina: The History of Argentina’s Colonization and Struggle for Independence Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5New Mexico Food Trails: A Road Tripper's Guide to Hot Chile, Cold Brews, and Classic Dishes from the Land of Enchantment Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmerican Cuisine: And How It Got This Way Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChinese Mythology: Gods, Goddesses, and Folklore from Ancient China Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An Edible History of Humanity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Teotihuacan and Cholula: The History of the Most Important Mesoamerican Cities of the Preclassic Era Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInca Mythology: A Concise Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Sagas, Rituals and Beliefs of Inca Myths Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Country of Poxes: Three Germs and the Taking of Territory Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIwígara: American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Excel Mexican Cooking: Get into the Art of Mexican Cooking Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Americas (North, Central, South, West Indies) History For You
The Constitution of the United States of America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Benjamin Franklin: Autobiography Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Life: My Story Through History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wicked New Orleans: The Dark Side of the Big Easy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Story of My Life (Version 2) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Gulf: The Making of An American Sea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Africans and Native Americans: The Language of Race and the Evolution of Red-Black Peoples Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Wrath to Come: Gone with the Wind and the Lies America Tells Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Dark History of American Presidents: Digitally Narrated Using a Synthesized Voice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of John Adams by David McCullough Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Tainos and Caribs: The History of the Indigenous Natives Who Encountered Christopher Columbus in 1492 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Killing of Uncle Sam: The Demise of the United States of America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Lost Empire of Atlantis: History's Greatest Mystery Revealed Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5American Slavery: History in an Hour Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5History of the Conquest of Mexico Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Modern American History: A Captivating Guide to the Modern History of the United States of America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Waco Siege: An American Tragedy: An American Tragedy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Underwater Ghost Towns of North Georgia Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Zora Hurston and the Strange Case of Ruby McCollum Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Killing of Crazy Horse Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Odd Fellows' Primer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Haitian Revolution: The History and Legacy of the Slave Uprising that Led to Haiti’s Independence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dinner With the President Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Gastronomy in Mesoamerica
2 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I had virtually no background knowledge, so I was happy with this general grounding with references to history, myth, and agricultural practices. I look forward to learning more.