We may not be aware of the influence of pre-Hispanic gastronomy on the dishes and ingredients of the food that is enjoyed today in the region of southeastern Mexico. It is essential to contextualize that the basis of the Mayan diet was corn known in the Mayan language as “iximin”. The Mayans were known as the “men of corn”, the Ixi’imy / oxi’ima date cannot be absent within Mexican gastronomy, presented and processed in a wide variety of dishes from white, blue, red or corn tortillas. yellow and an infinity of food dishes, even corn was part of his worldview and beliefs, even in his way of seeing the world.

At present, some food specialists consider that consuming cornmeal daily helps maintain blood sugar levels, improves digestion and strengthens the immune system, helps reduce cholesterol and clears the body and helps relieve symptoms of menopause, in addition to degenerative diseases. 98.6% of Mexicans consume tortillas in our diet, if you visit the Riviera Maya, surely in some dish of our gastronomy you can taste a delicious tortilla made with corn, if you like tacos or burritos you will taste a tortilla.

Corn was also used by the Mayans as the base of various refreshing beverages such as pozol that is made with ground cocoa and corn, a drink of great nutritional value especially for those who made very long trips, currently pozol is a highly consumed drink in Southeastern Mexico is even part of the daily life of the locals to cool off from the high temperatures in the area. Additionally, the Mayans took the roasted cocoa beans in the form of hot chocolate especially during ceremonies, the cocoa was mixed with water to get a kind of hot chocolate that had a bitter taste and a frothy appearance. However, they almost never drank the water with cocoa alone, but rather mixed it with various ingredients such as fruits or corn, to prepare sacred drinks such as atole or sakab and balché, a fermented alcoholic drink that was consumed in ceremonies and made with the bark of the balché tree, water and honey.