The Original Mexican Food: What Did the Aztecs Eat and Drink?

'What Psychedelic Foods Did Aztecs Eat at a Banquet?'
In this video, Dan Snow tries the various foods that were common within an Aztec banquet and delves into the civilisation's psychedelic history.
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#historyhit #dansnow #aztecs

[@bradpenstone515]

Please do more food episodes like this. The British ones are great, but shining light on other civilizations is wonderful

[@EgXP]

As much as I enjoy European history, this kind of video is a wonderful change of pace - thanks so much!

[@ArtBellJr]

The fall of Tenochtitlan or Modern day Mexico city is a great story. Hernan Cortes almost has 9 lives like a cat. The great city and it's surrounding empire was demolished. And churches where built upon the Native temples and Altars , kinda sad.

[@Enno9]

​@@ArtBellJr Kinda sad? These guys eat humans

[@Enno9]

​@@ArtBellJrkinda Sad? The Aztecs ate humans

[@Speakup117]

Did they though. ​@@Enno9

[@Enno9]

@@Speakup117 they did

[@dustingreen9075]

As someone who eats Mexican food almost everyday, Dan's open-ended tortilla made me anxious.

[@fireplusbirdfilms6517]

Not to mention he wasn't even eating an actual maize tortilla made on a comal. It looked like some kind of new age "wrap" with wheat and some kind of green.

[@Itzpapalotl.]

Imagine being raised my Mexican parents

[@RandomDudeOne]

@@fireplusbirdfilms6517 Yes. The corn tortillas the Aztecs would have had weren't very flexible like a flour tortilla.

[@daywalkerdaveclark2694]

My Ukrainian ex cracked me up when she ate Tacos. Always ended with a fork!

[@thecynicaloptimist1884]

Fun fact: Maize cooked in lime water induces a process called nixtimalisation; among other things, nixtimalisation reduces mycotoxins by up to 97%. When maize was first exported to Spain, many rural poor didn't know they had to nixtimalise it, meaning many people actually got sick from eating it. Even as late as the early 20th century, many poor populations in the southern US didn't nixtimalise it, leading to endemic outbreaks of pellagra.

[@xaszholazx]

Super interesting!! Thanks ❤

[@williamrobinson7435]

The contribution of The Aztec to European via Mediterranean cuisine cannot indeed be overstated, rich pickings for maritime adventurers, on which subject I have not seen much via u tube.. The graphics especially early on in the film are outstanding! Nice one Dan and team. ⭐👍

[@adrianaslund8605]

There were alot of people living there. The Aztecs were just the latest dominant(in a very violent way) culture.

[@jessewilson8676]

The reason he disliked the frog legs is because they were boiled…they should have been fried or roasted, best would have been breaded with maze flower and egg then deep fried.

[@hmq9052]

The French are depraved

[@ccptube3468]

Boiled frog legs is Euw!!😫😫

[@jillwanlin9558]

@@ccptube3468yep. Any boiled meat 🤢

[@michaelb1761]

Boiled meat, how British.

[@hmq9052]

@@michaelb1761 Says you, speaking English

[@grontelp77]

Chia and Algae also played essential roles in the diets of the Aztecs. Spirulina and Chia seed are now expensive and “super foods” that rich people buzz about, but back then it was just the common way to get extra protein, iron, and antioxidants in your diet. The upper class Aztecs and royalty also had access to avocados and venison AKA Deer. The Spanish conquistadors described enclosed game reserves where the Aztecs bred and harvested venison.

[@madderhat5852]

Can you imagine a world without potatoes, chilli or tomatoes?

[@billhester8821]

Or corn, peanuts, chocolate, vanilla.

[@thebirdlady4304]

I found out recently that the British didn't always have Tomatoes. Before we did, we made ketchup out of hawthorn and sometimes rosehip. Which I plan to do at some point soon, I have some I previously forgaed in the freezer 😊

[@terranaxiomuk]

​@thebirdlady4304 We used turnips instead of potato as well. People seem to think we ate nothing and had nothing when we have equivalents of nearly everything.

[@ethanarnold4441]

No I can't.

[@jaydaytoday3548]

Also beans

[@aeolia80]

😂😂😂 British pronunciation of Conquistador had me in stitches 🤣 😂 😆 😳 (from California for reference, 80-90% of the time we use the Northern Mexican Spanish pronunciation for things). He forgot squash, it's one of the tres hermanas (three sisters) that were/are always grown together, corn, beans, and squash. Also, wheat wasn't introduced to the Americas till the Spanish brought it, so all tortillas would've been made from nixtamilized corn, which he didn't explain, it's the alkali water he mentioned, the process is called nixtamilization, from the Nahuatl word nixtamalli, the reason this is still done do this day is because the variety of corn grown is not digestible on its own, it can cause gastroenteritis and malnutrition, the alkali solution was made from pot ash and water that broke down the corn's cell walls to make it more digestible and get ghe nutrients from it. There are corn varieties that dont need this anymore such as sweet corn, but tge varieties used for most Mexican cuisine still need to be processed this way. It's kinda sad the host brushed over this point.

[@tobiasmccallum9697]

Thats really really interesting. What part of Central America are you from?

[@demsrchildabusers7959]

He missed tamales too!

[@bboyamen]

Came here for this comment 😂😂😂

[@OBXDewey]

Agreed. 😂😂😂

[@daniellehardenberg2745]

Watch Max Miller Tasting History. He does a great explanation on nixtamilization and Aztec food. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIHbm4SbqbCDpdEsi=p3RTzRfWEpRHiTs6

[@aftershock2222]

Being of Mexican ancestry, I can attest to the fact that us Mexicans love our chilies. I always have a fresh picked jalapeño with my dinner. The hotter it is the better! Please do one on the Incas. They introduced the Europeans to the potato.

[@kimberleysmith818]

As a Brit who loves potato’s I thank the Incans. I also LOVE spices. I know the stereotype is we don’t but some of us do. I love spicy food and would love to visit Mexico and have some authentic food 😊

[@taraoakes6674]

Yeah, he talked about maize, tomatoes, and chocolate, but didn’t mention potatoes and chilies. All of these transformed cuisine throughout the world.

[@debbiej.2168]

​@@taraoakes6674Yes, but I'm pretty sure the Aztecs didn't have potatoes. They originated in the Andes.

[@-Blackberry]

As an Englishman thank you and your ancestors for chillis! I love those spicy little buggers.

[@terranaxiomuk]

Potatoes are good, but Europeans used other mediums, such as turnips.

[@bvbxiong5791]

tomatoes and especially corn and potatoes changed the world. the world would not be the same without them in many many ways. thank you indigenous americans!

[@CAP198462]

Me watching Dan make a burrito: 🤦‍♂️. Me watching all the fillings not fall right out the bottom: 😀 👍

[@Mottleydude1]

Maize porridge is still popular in the Americas though in the Southern U.S. it is called Hominy Grits. One of my favorite recipes is to cook up some grits then pan fry some shrimp in butter then make a pan sauce with the drippings. Place a portion of grits on a plate, add the shrimp on top, cover with the pan sauce and Bon appetite.

[@joanlong4183]

Love frog legs. Had a nice platter of fried frog legs in Mexico City, 49 years ago.

[@alanbernal5599]

This was such an amazing episode. I just want to say huge hi from northern México.

[@julianshepherd2038]

I want to see Snow on magic mushrooms being chased by thousands of frogs.

[@julianshepherd2038]

Or Snow on toad being chased by thousands of mushrooms. I'm easy.

[@HistoryHit]

Next episode

[@wdjones4735]

I’m glad to see that you finally had some great food👍🏻🙂

[@kariannecrysler640]

Another fun one! So much more adventurous than I 🤭

[@ImNotaRussianBot]

And pepper. No Indian today or African can claim their spicy foods without the contribution of the Americas. Peppers of any variety just didn't exist in the Asian/European/African trade routes.

[@ericktellez7632]

They still battle with that one they claim they had x or y pepper variant especially the Indians are really adamant however it is true, before colonization of the Americas there was no peppers or chillies of any kind, the so called “thai chilli” is native to southern Mexico introduced by the Spanish to asia it isnt native to Thailand

[@robertmurray4488]

Great video, central American history does not get enough coverage. When I travel to central Mexico some of the traditional aztec restaurants are the best I have ever eaten at. Mexico has one of the best culinary cultures in the world by far!

[@ericktellez7632]

It doesn’t get enough coverage to the point where people put Mexico in central america instead of north America where it is actually located.

[@DJL78]

I love this series!

[@Softsqueakyduck]

Frog legs done right are slammin.

[@blahdblah0007]

I love posole, especially around christmas, but do substitute for one of the traditional ingredients ;)

[@DDW510]

The last time I was in Mexico City I did a food tour. It was so fun, and I highly recommend it.

[@justinbradfield1489]

Really wonderful series. A part of history often ignored. I learnt a lot .

[@BwfVid]

So glad he liked what we now call Hominy Grits! That gruel is wonderful for breakfast!

[@OstblockLatina]

Xocoltl wasn't drunk hot and also had no milk nor sugar in it, so it was a completely different drink than today's drinking chocolate.

[@mikeg2306]

It was a bitter slightly caffeinated drink, probably similar to the way we drink coffee.

[@davidpagan8559]

Me: "It tastes empty and hollow without the milk and sugar." History: "You mean it tastes...normal? It tastes like it came out of nature. Because... it did..."

[@mikew735]

definitely want more vis like this. these are great.

[@arjunsandhar578]

Great vid

[@slimslamfl]

I just kept waiting for everything to fall out the back of that tortilla.

[@katherinecollins4685]

Great video

[@PSquared-oo7vq]

My understanding is that the chocolate drink the Aztec's drank was unsweetened. Not entirely convinced that's what he just drank.

[@CAP198462]

Unfortunately we don’t have a recipe from pre-Spanish contact. Those we do have use a sweetener of some kind either honey or agave syrup. Source: Tasting History with Max Miller.

[@PABphilosophy]

​@@CAP198462Pre-contact Indians did not have honey or honey bees.

[@lizardog]

Maize gruel? That, my friend, is grits... and they are delicious.

[@ericktellez7632]

I think the grits dish doesn’t use nixtamilized corn while the hominy used by the mexica/aztec was nixtamalized and then grounded to make the soup

[@manuelcorral6095]

Thank you. ✊🏾

[@gonefishing167]

Really good, thank you. Not sure their chocolate was like we have it. Someone will help me here. We had chocolate put on our pillows at night snd they loved something called Mali was it. Very unsweetened and very popular. They used it in lots of things. This was around Oaxaca and Sun Christibal areas. Wonderful time. 🙏🙏🙏👵🇦🇺

[@andrewroberts8959]

Frogs legs are awesome - cross between chicken and fish but in a good way

[@christopherlau3996]

The aztecs enjoying tacos and hot chocolate 5-6 hundred years ago is a hard flex

[@BMW7series251]

I had frogs legs on a student field trip to the Camargue in the 60's. Really deliceous mixed with oozo!!

[@gmaureen]

I grew up in Michigan, USA and when I was in my late teens (70's) frog legs were served in a lot of local restaurants. Today I doubt you can find them anywhere, but what happened? Why did they disappear?

[@MikeyRumi180]

Very nice. I see Diego Rivera Murals here.

[@shotgunbettygaming]

Dan needs to hang out with Max Miller from 'Tasting History with Max Miller' here on YTube. I think they'd both have a blast nerding out over foods.

[@revolvermaster4939]

Dan has obviously never made a burrito!

[@terry2308]

Its all open ended🤯

[@SirSneakers]

I would love to try some of these recipes. Any chance you could share them?

[@bigbensarrowheadchannel2739]

Dan scoffing at the frog legs is hilarious 😂

[@jessewilson8676]

Boiled frog legs…umm, yuck! They need to be breaded and deep fried! Yumm

[@anna-lisagirling7424]

@jessewilson8676>> I was 8 years old the first time I ate frog legs. My cousin's husband took me to a reedy area next to a reservoir and fish hatchery near Tupelo, MS at dusk and he had a flashlight and did something I didn't even observe and eventually a bucket had enough for dinner. Later on, we ate beaucoup fried frog legs, some cooked greens with bacon fat, corn on the cob and fresh biscuits. I still remember that meal 😊and I'm now 71. I order fried frog legs whenever they are on the menu in a restaurant but here in the NW corner of the US (Lower 48 states) I have never seen them for sale in a grocery store or meat market. I certainly can't imagine them boiled unless just maybe they were sort of stewed in a well seasoned sauce and maybe lightly caramelized. Now I wish we weren't planning chcicken for dinner . . .

[@solidghost4525]

Pretty close to the stuff I eat today. Sure it will taste a bit different but I’d enjoy all of that.

[@dcseain]

We eat that maize porridge still in southern North America, we call it hominy. Available dried or canned.

[@andrewc8208]

My brain is broken from hearing a Brit call grits "porridge".

[@kimberleysmith818]

Probably because we don’t have grits so it’s to help us understand what it would be closest to in our own culture.

[@clembke88]

Very interesting. Is the translation for tortilla you used, "little cake", from old Spanish? In modern Castilian Spanish it translates into omelette.

[@kitross3251]

Dan: “they still use comals in rural Mexico” Me: has a comal sitting on my stove in my apt in the downtown LA

[@jeraldbaxter3532]

Dan mentions dairy products several times, but the people of the New World had no cattle (and were too intelligent to try to milk a bison, sooo.... I know the Aztecs used water instead of milk for their chocolate driink - did the Aztecs invent Yoo-Hoo chocolate drink?😉

[@frompapertopeoplepodcast4889]

Other animals provide milk, too.

[@revolvermaster4939]

@@frompapertopeoplepodcast4889Am Indians were lactose intolerant

[@JohnDoe-sr3qz]

french frog legs are delicious, best frog legs I had in Luxembourgh though. In a great garlic/olive-oil/wine sauce.

[@revolvermaster4939]

You should try them in South Louisiana!

[@evedauerwong8423]

I have watched a few of these food tastings with Dan but I am still rolling with the look and tiny taste he gave those frog legs!

[@mgallmachine]

You missed an opportunity, you should have him eat corn smut.

[@daniellescott6701]

Truth is way crazier then fiction. I love History, insane things happened over millions of years. He'll 300 years! Thanks ❤️ Love it. Tree frog silly (Lick) . Careful if to much.

[@leopard36cat]

The frogs legs looked raw uncooked.

[@sarcasmo57]

Delicious

[@darthjarjar5309]

Cómale 2:57 - they are not used only in rural Mexico, they’re use practically everywhere in Mexico & the US where anyone makes or heats their corn tortillas. No one is gonna he heating or cooking their tortillas on a pan, which is what a “Comale” is or was back then made with clay and these days are usually made out of a flat sheet of metal. Pans todas are too thick for heating tortillas. Also, without the Aztecs British would still be eating roasted duck at Christmas dinner, Italians would be eating everything with olive oil, and many Asian countries would be eating their food without the spiciness of chili peppers.

[@John.Flower.Productions]

Once they (anyone) started feeling the effects of whichever psychedelic was being ingested, the _feasting_ portion of the evening would have been finished. *Psychedelics completely suppress one's appetite.*

[@CHET1]

Some friends and I took mushrooms then started grilling steaks, then they kicked in and the dude grilling turned around with soot all over his face and said, “They’re Ready!” We all sat around the picnic table just staring at the steaks in front of us not saying a word. Poke it a little and we all had to step away.

[@King_Alfred_849]

​@@CHET1How old are you?

[@user-tb7cb2rf3n]

Maize porridge equals that old Southern US culinary delight -- GRITS.

[@terranaxiomuk]

There's plenty of food and stuff we brought to Athe Americas as well.

[@micheinnz]

No spirulina/blue-green algae, no cuy, no dog? Man, they held back all the good stuff!

[@ericktellez7632]

That sh*t is South American, cuy isnt even native to north america thats peruvian

[@Speakup117]

Cuy is Peruvian I literally just googled that

[@micheinnz]

@@Speakup117 Yeah, I misremembered. Good spotting!

[@artv1158]

Im Mexican and that gringo taco look terrible.. love your chanel! Cheers

[@debbiej.2168]

Not sure I believe that corn porridge was served with milk. I don't think the Aztecs had any domestic animals to provide milk, unless they used human milk.

[@newvibes789]

What’s impressive as well is the Aztecs were intelligent enough to cross pollinate their crops to create various types!!!

[@adamnelson1839]

Petition to get ‘proper tenacity that’ t-shirts!

[@RobertStCyr-pe7ic]

So burritos have changed very little in 500 years. There is just a slightly larger group if options for the filling.

[@skreety0455]

What are Aztecs eating today?

[@fosterfuchs]

The same ingredients are still being used in central Mexico. On top of that the population has been ruined by the same fast food diet that the rest of the world is subjected to. A few months ago I bought a meal from Popeyes in Mexico City. I figured it's no better or worse than eating at Taco Bell in New Orleans.

[@anna-lisagirling7424]

Cola with all that, too. @fosterfuchs >> Don't forget copious amounts of Coca Cola with all that, too. It's wreakung havoc all over Latin America. Sad.

[@lizardog]

@@anna-lisagirling7424 Yep, it's the coca-colonization agenda.

[@theresajerger3335]

Don’t give up on frog legs until you taste southern fried frog legs. You’ll change your mind. 😋

[@terranaxiomuk]

France is king on frogs legs mate.

[@theresajerger3335]

@@terranaxiomuk yes, and that’s where Cajun and Southern people learned to make them! New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and basically all of Louisiana has French heritage. You just can’t keep good cooking from spreading!

[@terranaxiomuk]

@@theresajerger3335 Absolutely.

[@revolvermaster4939]

@@terranaxiomuknope, Rayne Louisiana is the frog capitol of the world!

[@terranaxiomuk]

@@revolvermaster4939 I mean for eating.

[@rurikace1726]

Way less energetic than on the other capsules... Another high class stuff that could have been included besides the well known, world famous chocolate, was the raspados (extremely high class luxury food)

[@luannnelson547]

The British pronunciation of “taco” cracks me up. Why say “tom-ah-to” but pronounce “taco” like “tack-o?” Though I have no idea what the Aztec word would have sounded like.

[@LordWellington15]

I mean kinda makes sense. It’s spelt taco, not talk-oh

[@ericktellez7632]

Tlah-koh in nahuatl, means folded in half

[@hyrummerino2656]

Milk was not around pre conquest so ummm so much for accuracy. Also no cane sugar or cinnamon 🫤

[@ovh992]

I love Dan Snow but is he really the best option for hosting this show? Are there really no mexicans in the uk? Or maybe add a mexican food expert cohost? Cause an expert in uk history does not automatically become an expert in ancient mexican history. By the way the grits (diced and boiled maize) were not eaten with milk as the aztecs did not have cows or milk producing animals.

[@terranaxiomuk]

There are people from all over the world here 😂.

[@sophroniel]

no mention of nixtamalization??

[@patanouketgersiflet9486]

As an aside, cocoa beans were used as a currency by the Aztecs. Xocolatl in nahutl ==> chocolate.

[@sirnunnosfreyxo5449]

No, iguana barbeque with potatoes...?

[@vanessabushea4127]

Clearly you’ve never had a properly cooked frog leg.

[@jamesdodds9407]

what kind of milk were they putting in their Maize Gruel? with no domesticated cows it couldn't have been easy.

[@BwInNewJersey]

Get your audio together

[@Matatabi6]

Dan, have you ever eaten a tortilla before, you bend your head sideways to take a bite

[@adamwee382]

1:25 so i guess nothing has changed?

[@johnking6252]

No mention of mescal , mescaline? It seems a natural. 👍✌️

[@flyinghigh2701]

Never going to look at tortillas the same way now

[@ChargerrentalCoandammo]

And cutting the hearts out of thousands of people

[@brentpatterson5715]

I wrote a song about a Tortilla...well actually it's more of a rap...

[@jimmcintyre4390]

Was that actually an Aztec recipe for the cocao? I have heard it was not very enjoyable.

[@KernowekTim]

That long yawn is the moment by which you know that you are "in". Relax and go with it. Here's a caveat from a 60's 'child in time'; Never trip if you are going through a bad-patch.

[@fosterfuchs]

Taste test of Tudor period food (different video): disgusting. Taste test of Aztec food: delicious.

[@ergot57]

deep fry those frog legs to a crunch on the outide and they are very good.

[@pastorjillk]

Grits basically

[@elisaargueta1663]

bro described nixtimalization and then said thats how you make atole

[@Scraggledust]

Grew up catching and eating frog legs and flippin’ cow patties for, well if you know, you know…It’s not for many😂

[@meesh3464]

Aztec people actually known as Mexica did not eat flesh and consume blood so freely on so many people in the elite classes were doing religious things like that

[@Gandalfthefabulous]

I actually thought that he was gonna say: that all came to an end, when the spanish inquisition arrived. Instead of invaders

[@MichaelClark-bd2sw]

Gator tastes like fishy chicken too.

[@jamessmith4455]

That is a wheat tortilla

[@rorysodyssey]

tenoshteetlan not ten-ochitland

[@D.VA_00]

Yes original Mexican food was vegan and very healthy minus the human meat. Your welcome Europeans for the chocolate and Italy for the tomato’s. Americans for the avocados, etc just to list a few.

[@ericktellez7632]

The focus on human meat is just racism. The cannibalism was saved for the hueyi tlatuani and it’s council, ie for the rulers for the Europeans to understand, the common people did not eat that and it was prohibited because it was a ritual dish for the elite. Focusing on it and presenting it like they all do as if it was common is just straight up racism and white supremacy to clean the crimes of the Spanish

[@DieLuftwaffel]

Is that a wheat tortilla? Sure looks like one.

[@omc-radio-tv]

looks like cold frog legs, should take some of that corn meal, some water and batter them up and then fry the legs.

[@Chlo-ee]

Take Dan out of Europe and the food already seems more palatable. What is he trying to tell the producers? 🤔 😂