![]() This laborious process has continued with devotion for centuries throughout Mesoamerica. She writes, “They soaked the corn in large pots of water mixed with the fine caustic power produced from the local limestone, rinsed it in cast ceramic colanders (pichanchas), and ground it on the metate to create the basic corn dough, masa.”(7) Grinding the soaked corn on a metate (grounding stone) is tedious. Taube states, “According to the Dominican friars, it was necessary to teach the Manche Chol how to manufacture tortillas.”(5) The historical record does instead provide ample evidence of the tamale holding a special place in the hearts of the Maya people, “Glyphic forms of the tamale are many and suggest complex lore and terminology surrounding this food.”(6) Writer Paula Morton describes the painstaking process ancient Maya women followed to prepare the masa for tamales. ![]() ![]() Additionally, tortillas and comals are mostly absent from the extensive written record left by the ancient Maya, “no evidence for the tortilla in the Postclassic codices, and the Classic depictions of the tortilla and comal are rare.”(4) One theory proposed by Karl Taube suggests that the prevalence of tortillas among the Maya did not occur until after contact with the Spanish. Taube states that the only example of a comal thought to be discovered at the San Jose site located in Guatemala “actually were the covers of composite incense burners.”(3) The Tikal site dating from the Classical Era and also located in Guatemala has experienced a decade of excavation, and still, no signs of comals. The archaeologist and ethnohistorian Karl Taube noted that the principle utensil for cooking tortillas known as the comal (griddle) has not been found in any ancient Maya archaeological sites. However, during the period of the Maya civilization, the tortilla, based on the archaeological record, is a recent addition compared to the tamale. Today the most recognizable food originating from the Mesoamerica region is the tortilla. The Nahuatl word tamalli translates in English to mean, “a type of bread-like steamed cornmeal.”(2) The word tamale does not do justice to the spiritual connection the ancient Maya people associated with this food. Interestingly, the tamale is not a Mayan word but instead derives from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. For the ancient Maya, the tamale represented a human connection to their god of maize, “To the Maya mind from time immemorial there has been something peculiarly sacred about the growing corn.”(1) Evidence from Mayan glyphs and mythology demonstrates the remarkable link between the ancient Mayas, the tamale, and their culture. Ancient Mesoamerican culture was rich and diverse, yet the tamale was the cornerstone of the Maya civilization. With a Maya heritage dating back to the Classical period, tamales hold a special place in Yucatán cuisine that is still celebrated today. The tamale has been a centerpiece of meals in Mesoamerica for centuries, ranging from festive banquets to modest homes. In the hustle and bustle of today’s modern society, the tamale maintains a revered connection between the locals living in the Yucatán region and the spiritual world. Tamales are a simple mixture of corn masa (dough) – sometimes filled with sweet or savory fillings and then wrapped in banana leaves or corn husks for cooking.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |