My Deep Dive into Aztec Grub
Alright, so I got this itch yesterday – what the heck did the Aztecs actually eat? Everyone talks pyramids and sacrifices, but what fueled those guys? Decided to dig in and actually try cooking some of their supposed staples. Spoiler: it was messy.
First step, obviously, was hitting the books. And by books, I mean digging through articles, websites, whatever I could find online fast. Keywords like “Aztec food staples,” “ancient Mexican diet,” y’know? I expected maybe corn and beans. Standard ancient people stuff. Man, was I wrong.
The sheer amount of wild stuff they ate floored me. Yeah, sure, corn (maize) was HUGE. Like, everything revolved around it. But then… bugs? Seriously? Apparently these were big deals:
- Chapulines: Grasshoppers. Roasted, sometimes spiced. Like crunchy snacks.
- Escamoles: Ant larvae. Called “insect caviar.” Fancy term for baby ants.
- Jumiles: Stink bugs. Yeah, the smelly ones. Eaten alive sometimes.
My face? Probably looked horrified. But hey, practice journal means trying things, right? Sorta? Maybe?
Didn’t have stink bugs handy (thankfully!), but I figured I could try something less terrifying. Found a basic recipe online for Aztec-style squash stew. Sounded simple enough. Ingredients were mostly familiar: squash, beans, chili peppers, some herbs, couple tomatoes. Grabbed some edible flowers too, ‘cause apparently they decorated food.
Cooking Like It’s 1420 (Badly)
Got everything chopped up. Started cooking. Looked good! Smelled surprisingly nice. Felt kinda proud, stirring this pot of history.
Then came the curveball. While the stew simmered, I read more. Realized I missed something major. Amaranth seeds. They weren’t just grain; they made this stuff called Alegría – basically popped amaranth mixed with honey or blood (yuck!). Skipped the blood part obviously.
Tried to pop some amaranth seeds like tiny popcorn in a dry pan. Big mistake. They went everywhere. Kitchen counter, floor, stuck to my socks. Felt like cleaning up glitter forever. Managed to salvage a tablespoon’s worth. Mixed it with some honey. Sticky mess, but tasted kinda nutty and sweet. Weird texture though.
Back to the stew. Added the beans… waited… stirred… Got distracted reading about how they also ate dogs (itzcuintli). Nope. Just nope. Focused on the stew. Added chili peppers. Added maybe one too many. Coughed like crazy. Eyes watering. This was authentic suffering, I guess?
The Moment of Truth and Bug Regret
Stew was finally done. Ladled it out. Looked… rustic. Topped it with the sad sprinkling of popped amaranth and a few edible flowers. Took a hesitant bite. It was… okay? Hearty. Chunky. Beans soft, squash nice. But man, that chili heat snuck up! Needed water fast.
Felt adventurous. Remembered the bugs. Found a specialty store online that sold roasted grasshoppers (chapulines). Clicked buy. They arrived today in a little sealed bag.
Opened the bag. Smelled faintly earthy, kinda smoky. Looked at them. Brown, crispy little things. Like overgrown rice krispies with legs. Took a deep breath. Grabbed one. Popped it in my mouth. Crunched.
Honest verdict? It didn’t suck. Salty, smoky, really crispy. Tasted like a weird smoky chip, honestly. The legs stuck in my teeth felt weird though. Ate a few more. Yeah. Definitely edible. Still strange, but not gag-worthy.
Biggest takeaway? Their diet wasn’t just corn tortillas and beans. It was crazy diverse. Lake algae (tecuitlatl) made into cakes? Wild greens? Bugs? Big carnivore with dogs, ducks, turkeys? The Aztecs used everything around them, land and lake. It was practical, resourceful, and honestly pretty inventive – sometimes grossly inventive to our eyes. But hey, protein is protein, even if it has six legs. Makes that chili stew seem pretty normal now! Turns out, history’s plate can be full of surprises… and grasshoppers.
