Eight Meals that Changed the World
Life Institute, Spring/Summer 2025
Join us for a mouth-watering journey through history over the course of eight lectures. During each lecture, I will share some historically inspired recipes for you to try at home! You’re invited to share your experience of “cooking in history” below and we’ll save time during each Friday course to chat about your creations.
Week 4: Montezuma’s Final Feast
This week, we explore Aztec cuisine and foodways prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century. Using manuscripts and Hernan Cortes’ letters to the Spanish crown, we will visit Tenochtitlán, capital city of the vast Aztec Empire. Discover the ancient history of corn, chocolate, avocados, and chilis! Learn how Indigenous foodways were drastically altered after European contact, ushering in what has traditionally been known as the “Columbian Exchange.”
Historical Recipes of the Week: Aztec Corn Salad and Guacamole
Previous Recipes:
Week 3 (Baghdad): Al-Warraq’s Sikbaj
Week 2 (Pompeii): Virgil’s Moretum
Week 1 (Egypt): Rekhmire’s Tiger Nut Cakes & Bhousa: Ancient Egyptian Beer
Don’t forget to share your creations below using the form. With your permission, I will share some of these with the class during our weekly Friday sessions.