Understanding the flavour lexicon among the Ancient Nahuas

Abstract

This article represents the initial classification of the lexicon of taste in sixteenth-century Classical Nahuatl, by attempting to answer twoquestions: “How did the Ancient Nahuas define good food and bad food?” and “What were their respective characteristics?” This research, whosemethodology is inspired by ethnographic studies of the cultural construction of taste among various indigenous groups in Mexico, focuses on ananalysis of Nahuatl-language sources from the sixteenth century, in particular the Florentine Codex by Bernardino de Sahagún, as well as variousdictionaries. Frequently used terms are analysed in context, highlighting the powerful metaphors which underlie words that describe food flavours.Some dishes, characterised by specific flavours as well as by words with the multiple layers of meaning are key to a meaningful interpretation ofthe Nahuatl religious universe and their ritual practices.