17 Foods The Mayans Really Ate — You’ll Want To Write These Down

The ancient Mayan civilizations may have existed many, many years ago, but actually, a lot of the foods and dishes we know and love today originated with them. The Mayans are an indigenous people of Mexico and Central America who have been around for a very long time, since the Mayan civilization, which began in 7,000 – 2,000 BCE. That is so long ago, it’s hard to even process it.

The Mayans had an interesting culture that left a lasting impact on the world as we know it today. Though, their disappearance is still something of a mystery, which makes their history even more intriguing. It’s hard not to wonder what their everyday life was like all those years ago, and luckily, there has been plenty of research done on exactly that. We know a lot about the Mayans, including what they ate on a regular basis, thanks to archaeologists and historians. Fortunately for us history buffs and/or food lovers, it’s fascinating to learn about.

They really loved corn.

This is very #relatable to us today.

The Mayans had a relatively simple diet, but much of it centered around one vegetable: corn, also known as maize. They made it into things like a porridge called “atole” in Mesoamerica or “capia” in Inca territory. In Mesoamerica, they also ate corn pancakes, which were called tortillas (the name clearly stuck), with every single meal.

The Mayans kept breakfast simple, although they did mix things up a bit.

You might be shocked by how normal their breakfasts were.

A Mayan breakfast, also known as “desayuno,” was pretty traditional for them. It usually involved scrambled eggs, black beans, fried plantains, and queso blanco. Of course, they ate all of this with the yellow corn tortillas that they were really into. They also loved to add a hot cup of coffee, which is also our ideal way to start the morning. Sounds pretty normal!

They used chili peppers to add flavor to their dishes.

Who doesn’t like to add a little heat to their meals?

The Mayans may have kept things easy, but that doesn’t mean they skimped on flavor. According to DK Find Out, they used both fresh and dry hot chili peppers to add some spice to their dishes. This happened in both Mesoamerica and South America, and is obviously a tradition that has lived on. I mean, when doesn’t a restaurant have hot sauce bottles on their tables? It’s pretty common nowadays.

They made things sweeter with honey and vanilla.

Much like we do today.

The Mayans didn’t use white sugar to sweeten things; instead, they relied on honey and vanilla. Vanilla was a common flavoring found in southern Mexico jungles, and was often mixed with chocolate to make it less bitter, as well as many other dishes. Honey was added to pretty much anything you would want to taste sweeter. So next time you go to add honey to your tea, give the Mayans a shoutout.

They relied on lots of other fresh produce as well.

We could learn a thing or two from their healthy diets.

The Mayans weren’t only into corn — they loved a lot of different fruits and vegetables, and regularly included them in meals. This included things like squash, pumpkin, papaya, guava, potatoes, avocados, and tomatoes. They also really loved sweet potatoes and used them quite often. They were clearly way ahead of us in the sweet potato department.

They used to make what we know of today as guacamole.

If you thought guacamole was something relatively new, you are definitely wrong.

The Mayans loved to eat avocados, which actually originated in southern Mexico and Guatemala. According to National Geographic, they used to make their own guacamole — they would mix avocados with chilis, garlic, onions, and lime or lemon… so not much different from what we do today! Though, we imagine they didn’t charge extra (looking at you, Chipotle).

The Mayans used quinoa quite often.

No, quinoa was not invented by Whole Foods.

Before quinoa became the trendy superfood that it is today, it was used many, many, many years prior by the Mayans. DK Find Out says the Incas used the tiny grain in many different dishes. It’s kind of funny how it has come back to be so popular today as well… although we can’t say if the Mayans were referring to it as a “superfood” or not.

Drinking chocolate was a treat for them.

The Mayans knew how to indulge in something sweet and delicious.

The Aztecs and Mayans regularly used cocoa beans to make a rich drinking chocolate that everyone loved. In fact, people were so into it that cocoa beans were sometimes used as a type of currency, according to DK Find Out. But this wasn’t the same drinking chocolate we’re used to today. It was more bitter and spicy, as it was flavored with chili peppers and spices. It was then sweetened with honey and vanilla.

Tamales were a popular staple.

Another food we love today that the Mayan culture really nailed are tamales.

According to Villa Pal Mar, their tamales were made with corn masa, filled with things like cheese and chilis, pork, or chicken, and wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves. They were then steamed and eaten, usually with salsa on top. Sometimes they were even made to be sweet, and were filled with fruit or sweet corn. Again, not much different from the tamales we know and love today.

Poc chuc was a meat dish that the Mayans ate often.

This is still a really popular dish, and it’s not hard to see why.

According to National Geographic, poc chuc is a Yucatecan dish that was around before refrigerators were even a thing, so meat was preserved with salt instead. Poc chuc was basically a slow-cooked pork made with sour orange juice and vinegar for a lot of added flavor. They added onions on top and sautéed everything with coriander and sugar.

The meat they ate sounds pretty exotic.

We imagine that they used their spice expertise to make them extra flavorful.

Ancient History Encyclopedia says that the Mayans went after some pretty interesting sounding meats and fish when hunting. This included animals like “deer, peccary, turkeys, quails, ducks, curassow, guan, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, the tapir, and armadillo.” They even sometimes ate dogs — again, every culture is different, so no reason to judge. Now, let’s move on from that. The meat and fish that they ate were usually cooked into stews with lots of vegetables for a hearty meal.

Beans were also an important source of protein.

Vegetarians and vegans can learn a thing or two from this aspect of the Mayan diet.

The Mayans ingested a lot of beans, which they used to call “bu’ul,” according to Xichen. They used beans in a variety of different ways, like mashing them up and using them as a spread for tacos, or cooking them into soup, making them into a flour, or stuffing them into tamales. They were a great source of protein for whenever there wasn’t enough meat.

When it came to drinks, they were a big fan of “pulque.”

Ever heard of agave?

According to Ancient History Encyclopedia, pulque is an alcoholic drink that is sort of like beer, except it’s made from the fermented juice or sap of the maguey plant (AKA agave). They drank it a lot during the day because it didn’t have much alcohol, but it was also an important part of big religious celebrations and agricultural ceremonies.

They also liked a drink called “michelada.”

The Mayans even liked to add some spice to their drinks.

According to National Geographic, a michelada was beer mixed with lime, coarse salt, peppers, and shots of Worcestershire and/or Tabasco sauce. It was served in a chilled glass with salt on the rim, and was very refreshing for them. Again, this is something we still drink and enjoy today, so the Mayans were definitely onto something good.

They kept cool with a drink called “jamaica.”

A perfect idea for a cool summer drink.

When it came to drinks, the Mayans definitely didn’t keep things boring — they loved to try out cool mixes. One refreshing and popular drink was called the “jamaica,” and according to HistoryPlex, it was normally made and ingested during the summer to stay cool. Jamaica was made from hibiscus flowers and mixed with water and honey for added sweetness.

They cooled down spicy foods with a horchata.

This is a pro-tip we plan on incorporating into our own lives.

You’ve likely tried or at least heard of a horchata, which is still a popular drink in Spain, South America, and even in parts of the United States. Well, it was also a favorite among the Mayans, who, according to HistoryPlex, drank it with spicy foods to stay cool. A horchata is made from rice milk, sugar, and almonds, and is sweet and satisfying.

Dog Snout salsa was another popular dish.

Your going to want to send this recipe to a friend who really, really loves hot sauce.

It might sound weird, but dog snout salsa is a lot more innocent then you’d think (especially after hearing the Mayans actually did eat dog meat). It’s actually just a really spicy salsa made with habanero chilis. According to National Geographic, the name came from the fact that it’s so spicy that it makes your nose wet, sort of like a dog.