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

[John E. Staller]

Thanks Nick,
You are quite right. Mesoamerica is the proper term, since cultigens  
such as tomatoes were in fact first domesticated by the Aztec, and as  
you point out, the orchid (Vanilla planifolia L.) which gives us the  
edible fruit, the only species in pertaining to the family  
Orchidaceae (with 880 genera and 25,000 species) which has an edible  
fruit. The Aztecs called vanilla “tlilxochitl,” or ‘black flower,’  
after the mature bean. The Totonacs of the Gulf Coast are generally  
credited with domesticating the vanilla bean.  Aztec lords in fact  
demanded vanilla beans as tribute, and both cacao and vanilla beans  
were used as forms of currency in different regions of Mesoamerica.  
After vanilla was introduced to the Old World, European aristocrats  
considered it the ultimate aphrodisiac, and primarily used it as  
perfume. By the mid 1700s, vanilla had spread all over Europe, and  
for over three centuries Mexico was the leading producer. Vanilla of  
all the New World spices has perhaps had the most powerful influence  
upon foodways worldwide.
John E. Staller


On Aug 26, 2009, at 2:48 PM, Nick Hopkins wrote:

>
> Undue credit to the "Maya."  Note that not a single food name is  
> Maya, most are from Nahuatl (a couple of Tainos), and some are not  
> cultivated by the Maya (e.g., vanilla).  And the Maya can't really  
> be given credit for domesticating all those plants, maybe none of  
> them.  Looks to me like they're using "Maya" just for its drawing  
> power and avoiding the more proper "Mesoamerica".  Cheap  
> merchandising!
>
>
>
>
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