sionally, and which they feel more than 

 blows." 



Two other features of Aztec cuisines de- 

 serve to be mentioned here — cacao-based 

 drinks and cannibalism. Coe argues per- 

 suasively that both were more important 

 in ritual contexts than as regular dietary 

 items. The case she makes is too wide- 

 ranging to recapitulate in a few sentences, 

 but two features of their preparation and 

 use are striking. Among the Aztecs, only 

 the men were allowed to drink chocolate. 

 And tlacatlaolli, or human stew, was one 

 of the only Aztec dishes not flavored with 

 chili. This feature, Coe comments, 

 "should signal to us that this was not an or- 

 dinary meal but a reUgious rite." 



Coe does not use modem ethnographic 

 or cuhnary studies in her reconstruction of 

 the cuisines that existed in late fifteenth 

 and early sixteenth century New World 

 societies. This is a wise decision. Much 

 can be learned from such sources, but dis- 

 tinguishing introduced patterns from in- 

 digenous ones is a difficult business. Ln- 

 portant elements of the aboriginal cuisines 

 have disappeared (chocolate drinks in the 

 Aztec and Maya regions and wild greens 

 in all three regions are the most obvious 

 examples), and European ingredients and 

 cooking techniques have spread into every 

 cuisine in Latin America. 



StUl, I wish she had touched more upon 

 the archeological evidence. Pictures of the 

 more obscure fruits and vegetables and an 

 appendix summarizing Latin, common, 

 Spanish, and hidian names for the various 

 foods and plants discussed in the text 

 would have also been helpful. 



The strengths of America's First 

 Cuisines, however, far outweigh any such 

 complaints. This book is full of significant 

 insights and interesting asides about the 

 cuisines and cultures of the New World's 

 three major indigenous civilizations, and it 

 is as entertaining as it is informative. The 

 European conquest of the New World was 

 a catastrophe for the societies Coe dis- 

 cusses, a cataclysm so fundamental that it 

 even changed the way they ate. But the 

 changes went both ways. The barbecue, 

 baked beans, and com on the cob in our 

 own cuisine were adopted or adapted from 

 the cuisines of America's indigenous peo- 

 ples, and understanding where these foods 

 came from makes them even more enjoy- 

 able to eat. 



A freelance book critic and enthusiastic 

 eater, John R. Alden has done archeologi- 

 cal research in Mexico, Panama, Peru, 

 and Chile. 



August 30 - September 11, 1994 



VOYAGE TO 

 ANTIQUITY 



Aboard Sea Cloud 



From classical Greek and Roman times through the Byzantine 

 Empire to the present, the eastern Mediterranean region has exerted 

 an enormous influence on world history, art and culture. 



This September, the American Museum invites you to explore this 

 area's exotic cities, magnificent landscapes and innumerable rem- 

 nants of its glorious ancient civilizations with physical anthropologist 

 Dr. Ian Tattersall and archeologist Dr. David Soren. 



Beginning and ending with the fabled city of Istanbul, we will 

 explore western Turkey's 

 incredible ancient ruins and 

 thriving towns, including 

 Ephesus, Pergamon, Termessos, 

 Troy and Antalya, as well as the 

 Greek island of Rhodes and its 

 superb acropolis. Join us aboard 

 the Sea Cloud for an extraordi- 

 nary journey back in time. 



American 

 Museum of 

 Natural 

 History 



Discovery Tours 



Central Park West at 79th St. 



New York, NY 10024-5192 



Toll-free (800) 462-8687 or 



(212) 769-5700 in NYS 



79 



