You can bet your AZTEC this food was good...?

There's a good chance that you had dinner with one of the three sisters tonight, and we're not talking about the Kardashians.

The Aztecs along with other Central American civilizations relied heavily on maize, squash and beans (The Three Sisters). After the Spanish conquistadors reached the New World these key ingredients crossed the oceans to cast their nourishing spell over the masses.

It can be argued that corn has changed the world more so than any other food. The Aztec used to make tortillas and eventually their cuisine evolved enough for us to have Burritos!! Today you can find maize in everything from candy to hamburgers (corn = cow food, too).

Maize combined with beans and squash made up the core of a healthy diet for a people who didn't have many meat options. The Mexicas (Aztecs) included many other things like chillies, tomatoes, limes, cashews, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and of course chocolate. They domesticated dogs, ducks, bees for honey and turkeys for meat and eggs. They hunted and fished as well, using animals such as deer, rabbits, iguana, fish and shrimp for food.  Even insects, such as grasshoppers and worms, were harvested.  However, These various types of meat made up only a very minor part of the Aztec diet.

Speaking of chocolate (more appropriatly, chocolatl), it might have been one of the Aztec's greatest gifts to the world. The cocoa bean was highly treasured in the Aztec Empire. In fact, the bean was used as a currency AND drink. The "hot chocolate" they made is completely different from what we know today. Instead of sugar, they added peppers, cornmeal and spices. 

Let's give it a try! 

AZTEC "HOT CHOCOLATE"

-1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-2/3 cup boiling water
-ground pepper of chilies to taste

Grate the unsweetened chocolate into a bowl and cover it with a little of the boiling water. Mash the mixture into a paste. Add the rest of the water and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until frothy. Add the pepper and chilies to liven up the drink. 

Warning! The chocolate will not totally dissolve and will have a grittiness to it.

For the last night of our project, we ventured to Felipe's get a taste of something that used to be real Mexican. It was so good you'd give your life to Quetzalcoatl for a bite... maybe.