Maya seasoning

How to Cook with the Maya-Inspired Spice Blend

To use it, you can incorporate it into marinades for meats, fish, or vegetables by adding olive oil and lemon. Sprinkle it over pasta dishes or stews to add aromatic depth. For desserts, use it to flavor chocolate mousses or cakes, creating a unique fusion of sweet and spicy flavors.

Recipe Ideas for Using the Maya-Inspired Spice Blend

• Meat Marinade: Use the Maya-inspired spice blend to marinate chicken, beef, or pork before grilling or roasting, bringing an intense aromatic richness.
• Chili con Carne: Enhance your chili con carne with this blend for an authentic and spicy note.
• Spiced Desserts: Incorporate a pinch of this blend into desserts like brownies or chocolate cakes for an exotic and spicy touch.
• Fish Sauce: Mix the blend into a sauce made with crème fraîche and lemon to accompany grilled fish.
• Spiced Hot Chocolate: Add a pinch of the blend to your hot chocolate for a drink with deep flavors.

An Escape to Ancient Mesoamerica

Cacao beans bring deep and bitter chocolate notes, while white pepper adds a subtle touch of heat. Rosemary offers herbaceous and resinous aromas, balancing the slightly sweet and floral notes of pink peppercorns. Voatsiperifery pepper enriches the blend with its woody and citrusy notes, and roasted acacia seeds add a roasted and slightly bitter depth.

The Gentle Bitterness

While the Mayas regarded cacao beans, known as "nahuatl" or "cac-hualt," as sacred, the Aztecs used them as currency. This is how they introduced this brown gold to Latin America before the first explorers brought it back to Europe and the rest of the world. The cacao craze then spread through European courts, making it accessible to everyone today... But for how long?

The Charming Story of Mole

Pioneers of cacao, it is no surprise that Mexican cuisine boasts recipes using this ingredient, such as the famous mole poblano. Legend has it that this traditional Mexican recipe originated at the Santa Clara convent. When Archbishop Juan de Palafox made an unexpected visit, the nuns gathered all their available ingredients to create a dish. Chocolate, chilies, peanuts, and even a turkey! Thus, the iconic Mexican dish was born, now offered during All Saints' Day in "tamales" de mole—boiled corn patties stuffed with mole poblano and served in a banana leaf.