ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Maya cuisine

Maya cuisine is the type of food that people who lived in the ancient Mayan civilization ate a long time ago in Central America. The Mayans grew many different types of foods, such as corn, beans, squash, and chili peppers.

The Mayans would always begin their meals by drinking a special maize-based drink called atole, which was flavored with things like chocolate and vanilla. Then, they would eat foods that had been cooked in a variety of ways, including boiling, roasting, steaming or stewing.

One of the main staples of the Mayan diet was corn. They made corn into a lot of different foods, such as tortillas, tamales, and pupusas. Tortillas were flat, circular breads made from corn, while tamales were corn dough filled with meat or beans that were wrapped in a corn husk and steamed. Pupusas were similar to tamales but were much thicker, and they usually had cheese, beans, or meat filling.

They also ate a lot of beans and vegetables, including squash. They boiled, roasted or fried these foods and ate them alone or mixed them with other ingredients to create soups, stews or sauces.

Mayans also ate a lot of meat, especially deer, wild turkey, and other game animals found in the forests near their homes. They would hunt these animals and cook them in a special way. They would often cook the meat with chili peppers and other spices to create delicious stews.

Overall, Maya cuisine was a very healthy and nutritious diet, as they ate a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits along with their delicious meats and grains.