[Aztlan] 10 Maya foods that changed the world's eating habits

[Elaine Schele]

For all you food lovers out there:

by Christine Delsol, Special to SFGate.com
Wednesday, August 26, 2009

The ancient Maya civilization — which ranged from the Yucatán
Peninsula to Chiapas and Tabasco states, part of Veracruz state and as
far south as Honduras — is well known for perfecting architectural
techniques that produced towering cities, and for developing an
advanced written language and creating books centuries before anything
comparable appeared in Europe. The Maya also were gifted
mathematicians who developed the concept of zero. And their
astronomers, through centuries of patient observation, created a
365-day solar calendar that varies by less than 2 seconds from the one
we use today — more accurate than what Cortés was using when he landed
in 1519.

Lost among the laurels heaped upon the Maya, though, is credit for
their agricultural wizardry. When the conquering Spanish started
carrying Maya food staples back to Europe and to the Caribbean, Asia
and Africa, it changed the world's eating habits. We're not talking
about the Yucatán's deliciously exotic lime-and-achiote concoctions
but food you buy every day in Safeway's produce aisles. Just try to
get through a day without <they name 10 items>:   to read more
http://tinyurl.com/oxxyoq

Elaine
Master of Urban and Regional Planning
PhD Candidate
Latin American Studies
University of Texas
http://gispalenque.blogspot.com/
http://volunteermayameetings.blogspot.com/