Aztec influence in Spain can be seen in both the cuisine of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

and in its architecture.

Food

Guacamole Guacamole (; (informally shortened to ''guac'' in the United States since the 1980s) is an avocado-based dip, spread, or salad first developed in Mexico. In addition to its use in modern Mexican cuisine, it has become part of international cui ...

, an

avocado The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to Americas, the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerica, Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Pre-Columb ...

-based dip that was popular in

Aztec cuisine Aztec cuisine is the cuisine of the former Aztec Empire and the Nahua peoples of the Valley of Mexico prior to European contact in 1519. The most important staple was corn (maize), a crop that was so important to Aztec society that it played a c ...

as early as the 16th century, was brought back to Spain by the

Conquistadors Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (, ; meaning 'conquerors') were the explorer-soldiers of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires of the 15th and 16th centuries. During the Age of Discovery, conquistadors sailed beyond Europe to the Americas, ...

. Its reputation as an aphrodisiac derives from the words that combine to form the word ''ahuaca-molli'' ("guacamole" in the

Aztec language Nahuatl (; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahua peoples, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smal ...

): ''molli'' meant "something mashed or pureed into a sauce" and as well as meaning "avocado" ''ahuacatl'' meant "testicle".

Architecture

The stone work of sun pattern, snakes, panther and birds above the main entrance to the church of Nuestra Señora de Regla,

Pájara Pájara is a municipality in the southwestern portion of the island of Fuerteventura in the Province of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands as well as the name of its largest town. Its population is 20,931 (2013),Fuerteventura Fuerteventura () is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the North Africa region, and politically part of Spain. It is located away from the northwestern coast of Africa. The island was declared a biosphere reserve by UNES ...

in the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Mo ...

, is thought by some specialists to show Aztec influence.Noel Rochford, ''Fuerteventura'', Sunflower Books, 2007, p. 19

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aztec Influence In Spain Aztec Cultural history of Spain Legacies Spanish colonization of the Americas Cultural exchange

Food

Architecture

See also

References