At Mama Mexico Restaurant we feature a traditional Mexican flavor with an accent of Mayan Culture. This is reflected in the food that has been selected to be featured in our menus(midtown menu , uptown menu). A little about our family.
MEXICO
Mexico is a country of splendor of thirty centuries. Few societies boast such an unbroken cultural, scientific and intellectual life, marked by such a high level of creativity and achievements. The extraordinary complexity and richness of Mexican history intrigues us today. These indigenous people who inhabited a territory called Mesoamerica produced a great culture one thousand years before Jesus Christ was born. They created a society of intellectuals, of astronomical sciences, of social and political institutions. They had gods of all kinds. Their kings had a precise code of conduct including their constitution.

Imagine, they even used a rubber ball for play and for rituals. The players used rubber guards for protection, much like the helmets and pads American football players were today.

Mexicans of today still believe in old gods of 3,000 years and they also believe in the Christianity brought about by Spanish conquistadores. This quality is found in todayís Mexicans which fascinates us. Also fascinating is their outlook on life, mariachis, tequila, food and the simplicity of having fun. Their cuisine is rich with traditional and regional dishes, at par with European cuisines. Remember, just because you have had a taco or enchilada, does not mean you have experienced "Mexican Food." It only means you have scratched the surface of Mexicoís traditional culinary delights.

MAYAN
(Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador & Honduras)

CIVILIZATION
A Voyage Into The Heart of Mayan People

YEARS B.C.

150-7000 — Primitive man of Americas are, the direct descendants of Siberian immigrants, were nomadic hunters and gatherers of wild plants. They wore animal skins, lived in caves or huts of grass and animal skins.
10,000 — Manís bones found, named Tepexpan man. He used points of blades chipped from hard stone
to kill animals and as tools.
7,000 — Development of agriculture. Principal crop was Maize (Indian corn).
5200-3400 — Wild corn transformed into domesticated plant.
3113-1700 — First year of Maya calendar. First stable settlements, first pottery with artistic design.
1530-1250 — Conquest of Yucatan. Stone sculptures in Guatemala, ceramicware in Elize, Mexico and Peru. Start of Guanape civilization in Peru.
1200 — Olmec civilization. Foundation of capital La Veneta.
900 — Classical monuments at Tonina, Kakupacal, Chichen-Itza, Seibal. Oholula puebla culture.
800 — Teotihuacían culture. Bonemark paintings executed. Temples built at Copan, Yaxchi Lan, Tikal. King Bird Jaguar accedes to King Pascal at Palenque. Ruler Rabbit captured. Dos Pilas tries to establish first regional state.
500 — Zapotec culture in Oaxaca. First appearance of idea-graphic writing in Mexico. State organization and social orders of lords, nobles, priests, artisans, farmers, bearers, slaves..
450 — First thatched roof hut at Becan Campeche. King Jaguar Paw rules Tikal.
300 — Zero number invented, writing on medicine, architecture, preparation of chronicle "Cad Ice" written on paper made from fig tree. Astronomical calendar established including 365 day per year calendar with leap year.
200 — Blood letting rites at pyramids of sun and moon at Temple Teotihuacan. Hopwell Indians in North America and Southern California.

YEARS A.D.
100 — Mayans calendar spreads throughout Mesoamerica. Monuments built at Abaj, Elbaul, Kaminaljuyu, Cerros, Lamanai, Izapan, Tikal, Uaxactun, El Tigre and Mirador.
150 — By this time, Mayan culinary regional palate was established. They ate fish, seafood, duck, bison, camel, armadillo, bear, turtle, maize, squash, beans, potatoes, chili peppers, amaranth, manioc, cacao, avocado, chico-zapote, guanayana, nance, ramon nut and herbal plants.
- Food for kings was restricted to other folks. Clothes, head dress plumes of rare birds were also exclusive to kings. They wore cotton and sisal clothes with colorful designs representing gods, their elders who had died. Styles in fashion were in vogue. They had capes, hats, shawls, kilts, robes, leather and sisal sandals.
- Death was primary concern. They believed in afterlife and respected ancestors, magic, shamans, dance rituals, spirits and community.
200-600 — Golden age of Mayan civilization, peak of development of Tical, Yaxchilan, Bonampak, Copan, Palehoue, Oxaca, La Venta, Guatemala, Olmec, Honnduras, Peru, St. Salvador.
- Trade throughout north and south to Columbia. Exported medicine, herbs, food, plumes, gold, silver, clothes, rubber.
- Regional sports competition, including 80 mile marathons.
850 — Collapse of Mayan culture due to infighting of rulers, who abandoned cities to move to mountains.
1521 — Spanish triumphed over Aztec, looted all gold and silver, divide and rule all Mayan kingdoms, brutally enslaved, built churches over Mayan temples, forced all to convert to Catholicism. Native rites, songs, dances, speech was forbidden.
1540 — By the power of Spanish sword, all colonies signed alliance to the Spanish crown.
1600 — Spanish conquistadors imported black slaves from Africa.
2002 — Maya of today have preserved most of their ancient customs, they remember the old myths about creation of the world and the deeds of the gods in their prayers. They continue to name the ancient gods alongside the saints of the Catholic church.
- They were and today are still peace loving, religious, modest, conservative and hygienically clean, honest by nature. They were and still are peaceful people and considered as Greeks and Hindus of the New World while Aztecs were seen as Romans.

Live Mariachi Band 7:00pm Daily
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