The most important food that the Maya ate was maize, which is a vegetable like corn. They made all types of food from maize including tortillas, porridge, and even drinks. Other staple crops included beans, squash, and chilies. For meat the Maya ate fish, deer, ducks, and turkey.
Mayans worshipped xocolatl (or bitter water) made with crushed cocoa, cornmeal and chilli pepper. Their drinking chocolate cup of choice? Large vessels with spouts, coveted, yet not so practical. To create a foam they would pour liquid back and forth between bowls from a height – like ancient baristas.
Pulque is an alcoholic drink which was first drunk by the Maya, Aztecs, Huastecs and other cultures in ancient Mesoamerica. Similar to beer, it is made from the fermented juice or sap of the maguey plant (Agave americana).
UC researchers discovered evidence of a filter system at the Corriental reservoir, an important source of drinking water for the ancient Maya in what is now northern Guatemala. "What's interesting is this system would still be effective today and the Maya discovered it more than 2,000 years ago," Tankersley said.
Balché is a mildly intoxicating beverage that was commonly consumed by the ancient Maya in what is now Mexico and upper Central America. Today, it is still common among the Yucatec Maya. The drink is made from the bark of a leguminous tree, Lonchocarpus violaceus, which is soaked in honey and water, and fermented.
The Mayans consumed xocolatl on a daily basis, much like how we drink our morning coffee. That changed drastically when the Mayan civilization gave way to the Aztecs. The Aztec people did not grow their own cocoa beans and had to trade for the beans. Therefore, they placed a higher value on the xocolatl drink.
The Mayans, Aztecs and Incas brewed and enjoyed a beer-like beverage using corn and cacao as the base ingredients. Spanish priests following along with the conquistadors noted the Mayans and other indigenous native cultures used fermented drinks to celebrate special days and fiestas.
Xocolatl originated in Mayan culture and is the original hot chocolate drink. What is this? It was the preserve of the wealthy, royals or nobility, but they also served it to warriors to give them energy. They enjoyed it bitter and usually served it cold.
They became excellent managers of rainwater, using massive systems of cisterns called chultuns to collect and store rainwater. Mayan civilization thrived in Central America thousands of years ago.
The researchers write that the Maya probably found the quartz and zeolite about 18 miles northeast of the city, around the Bajo de Azúcar, where the materials naturally purified the water.
The Mayans and the Aztecs believed (and perhaps some people still do) that chocolate was a gift from the gods. The Aztecs in particular revered the drink - they gave it to victorious warriors after battle, would use it during religious rituals, and even used cacao beans as currency.
Mayahuel and Pulque Pulque is thought to have been the actual beverage that Mayhuel discovered and shared with the people. It is the ancient predecessor to other agave-based liquors like mezcal and tequila. The primary difference between the three spirits is the species of maguey plant used.
cacaoThe Maya didn't just enjoy cacao as a drink, however. They revered the beans as sacred, calling it the food of the gods and naming it “Ka'kau.” There are Mayan depictions showing gods sprouting from cacao pods, and it was rumored that cacao was used as an ingredient in the creation of humans, among other purposes.
The ancient Maya built a sophisticated rainwater collection system. This system supplied inhabitants with enough water for several months.
Water from reservoirs without filters was most likely used for agriculture. The Maya built their reservoirs out of rock quarries from which they also cut stones for their giant temples. The holes in the ground left after the removal of the stones were perfect for filling with water.
The Mayans consumed chocolate by first harvesting the seeds -- or beans -- from cacao trees. They fermented and dried them, roasted them, removed their shells, and ground them into paste. This nutritious drink seems to have been the most common Mayan method of consuming chocolate.
The salt was hardened in pots to form salt cakes and used to salt fish and meat, which were storable commodities that could be transported to marketplaces by canoe within the region. The Classic Maya from 300-900 A.D.
tequilaAguamiel (which translates to "honey water"), also known as agave nectar, is the sweet sap from the agave plant that, when cooked and crushed, becomes tequila and mezcal.
Water from reservoirs without filters was most likely used for agriculture. The Maya built their reservoirs out of rock quarries from which they also cut stones for their giant temples. The holes in the ground left after the removal of the stones were perfect for filling with water.
The Puuc lacks a water source—there are no lakes, rivers, or springs in the region. The ancient Maya built a sophisticated rainwater collection system. This system supplied inhabitants with enough water for several months. What did the ancient Mayans call their rainwater cisterns?
Meat and fish were typically cooked in stews along with various vegetables and peppers. Fish was either salted and dried or roasted over an open fire. Fruits eaten included guava, papaya, avocado, custard apple, and sweetsop. A frothy chocolate drink and honey were also popular desserts.
The Incas, Aztecs, and Maya fished for everything from shellfish to large fish and sea mammals using nets, harpoons (long spears), fishhooks, and sometimes bows and arrows. The Maya caught fish in coastal lagoons using bows and arrows.
The SPARTAN-III program was a secret project initiated by the Beta-5 Division of the Office of Naval Intelligence's Section-III in order to produce cheap and expendable super soldiers to fight for the survival of humanity and the United Nations Space Command's colonies.
A child with poor spatial awareness will tend to have difficulties with visual perception. Such a child may be clumsy, often bumping into things. He may stand too far away from or too close to objects. It may be difficult for a child with spatial awareness difficulties to master the act of writing.