The Totonac Diet

The Totonac’s diet consisted of a variety of things. Both men and women played an important role contributing to their diet. Men were in charge of hunting shark, turtle, deer, armadillo, opossums, and frogs. Women raised the turkeys and dogs.

Peasants as well as nobles ate corn porridge in the mornings. The main meal of the day was lunch, and consisted of moniac. Which was like a beef stew. The nobles and farmers had a diet based on primarily fish and seafood.

In the Totonac diet there is an absence of corn. Even though corn was grown, it was never a large part of their diet. Which meant that they did not eat tortillas. The main fruit that they ate were zapotes, guavas, papayas, plantains, and avocados. The principal crop, maize, is also a basic part of every Totonac diet. There is only one season for the cultivation of maize. Some other major crops are beans, chilies, and other vegetables that are grown on small family plots near houses.

Fun fact: The Totonac people were actually the main producers of vanilla.