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A Feast for the Eye
A Painterly View of Mexican Food.

When Cortes and his small band of bounty hunters first set foot on the shores of pre-Hispanic America, little did they know what real treasures they would take back to the Old World. The precious metals and beautifully crafted artifacts were certainly without equal, but the real bounty was a gift that keeps on giving - food.

Today it is hard to imagine a world without the aromatic smell of a ripe pineapple or the texture of a juicy mango or rich, buttery avocado. And who can imagine a summer without some thirst quenching watermelon.

History tells us that Moctezuma's table was truly a feast for a king. His meals were recorded to be varied and to have many courses. A typical menu could start with ceviche (a white fish marinated in lime with chili that is still eaten today) followed by roast turkey with sage, yams with honey, and baked squash. A fresh salad would be on the table along with a stack of warm tortillas, hand-made from maize ground on volcanic rock mortars. (These mortars are still available in the market place and used today.) His feasts always ended with a cup of hot chocolate possibly flavored with vanilla, a bit of tobacco and a hallucinogenic.

In fact, it seems Moctezuma drank cup after cup of hot chocolate all day long. The liquid was considered so special that it was served in golden goblets that were thrown away after each use.

From these early observations by Cortes and his men and the glyphs taken from various codices, it is evident that the pre-Hispanic people of Mexico loved their native foods, and that love affair continues to this day. Many paintings by Mexican artists reflect the profound connection the people have with their traditional food. In this respect, their work differs markedly from the paintings of the European schools.

Each of the 13 images below is linked to an annotated enlargement. An early reference to food and the pleasure it brings can be found on a 12th century glyph from the Nuttall Codex. Here a Mixtec marriage is sealed with a mug of frothy hot chocolate. Mexicans still toast happiness with a cup of the now sweetened beverage. Subscribe and read all the complete articles . . . Plus view the photographs.

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