Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The main method of preparation was boiling or steaming in two-handled clay pots or jars called xoctli in Nahuatl and translated into Spanish as olla (pot). Ceramics were vital to the cooking process and served at least three major purposes: nixtamal preparation, tamale steaming, and cooking beans, stews, and hot beverages. [8]
Mexican cuisine ingredients and methods begin with the first agricultural communities such as the Olmec and Maya who domesticated maize, created the standard process of nixtamalization, and established their foodways. [2] Successive waves of other Mesoamerican groups brought with them their cooking methods
The history of such cooking methods dates back to the pre-Columbian era, when powdered-hominy tortillas were cooked on an earthenware comal over an open fire. Comales were also used to toast cacao beans. The word "comal" comes from the Aztec Nahuatl word comalli. Originally they were thin ceramic pieces, with slightly raised edges.
The other common method of cooking tamales was on a comal which is a large flat stone, this method is also used to cook tortillas. In addition to the leaves of plantain and banana which are commonly used today, Mayan tamales were commonly wrapped in the leaves of avocado or piper plants, which would be gathered by men during the rainy season ...
Historically, various methods and techniques were employed to store, prepare and preserve the foods, most of which remain in use today. [10] Hernán Cortés introduced rice and wheat to Mesoamerica, prior to which time milpa (known as the cornfield ) [ 5 ] was one of the main sources of sustenance.
The ancient Maya adopted a number of adaptive techniques that, if necessary, allowed for the clear-cutting of land and re-infused the soil with nutrients. Among these was slash-and-burn, or swidden, agriculture, a technique that cleared and temporarily fertilized the area. For example, the introduction of ash into the soil raises the soil's pH.
Our team of kitchen and cooking experts are always testing new kitchen tools, cookware sets and more so you can shop for the best of the best. Top-rated mug: Yeti Rambler 14-Ounce Mug
The specific angles of the metate body allow for a proficient method of turning grains into flour. [4] Lesley Téllez describes the grinding action of a metate as using "your wrists to kind of rotate the metlapil forward, while at the same time pressing downward, hard, with the palms of your hands."