Huitlacoche, corn smut.

Huitlacoche, corn smut. Photo by Sidney Snoeck.

Cooks in Mexico still rely on the ingredients which were popular before the Spanish conquest…

Corn, beans and squash: The Aztec Trio. Traditional Mexican food is heavy in these three main ingredients. Combined with hunted game meats, such as deer or rabbit, the vegetable and grain trio made for an incredibly healthy diet.

Corn, beans, and squash planted together are also a famous example of “companion planting.”    Known in Mexico as the Aztec Trio and in other countries as The Three Sisters, the plants do marvelously well together. Corn is planted in the middle of a mound of ready dirt. Around the corn, beans are planted to add nitrogen to the soil.The bean vines then climb up the corn stalks as they grow together. On the edges, squash is planted to provide mulch for the other plants. It is no wonder that, before the days of modern industrialized agriculture, native people all over North America used these plants to provide a healthy diet year-round. Centuries old native myths and stories highlight corn, beans and squash as a magical combination of foods.

Other healthy ingredients, indigenous to Mexico:

  • Huitlacoche, known as corn smut or by the more attractive name Mexican truffle is a type of fungus that grows on corn crops. The Aztecs traditionally encouraged the spread of this fungus among their crops of corn, and throughout Mexico one can order quesadillas or other dishes filled with huitlacoche. Huitlacoche has important amino acids that are surprisingly present in the corn it infects. Apart from its nutritional benefits, huitlacoche is becoming prized by chefs around the world for its delicate and appealing flavor.
  • Sweet potatoes are native to the Americas and are one of the best sources nature provides us for beta-carotene. In Mexico, when sweet potatoes are in season they are lathered with piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar) and served as a dessert and snack.
  • Avocados originated in the state of Puebla. High in potassium and a rich source of mono unsaturated fats, avocados are one of the healthiest fruits in the world! A diet that includes avocados has been shown by some studies to reduce cholesterol and control high blood pressure.