Agavaceae

Before corn was ever cultivated or domesticated, agaves were one of the main carbohydrate sources for human populations in what is today western and northern Mexico and southwestern United States. Agave stems and leaf bases (jointly known as “heads”), and the floral peduncles, have been roasted or pit-cooked for use as food probably since7000 BCE. Since at least this time, the long fibers in the leaves have been another staple product used for making utensils, cloth, and papyrus-like paper. By the time of European contact, two kinds of fermented agave beverages were culturally significant within Mesoamerica: One made with floral sap and the other using juices from pit-cooked heads. The former was characteristic of what is now central Mexico and the latter of western Mexico. Spanish colonial-era sources, written between1550 and 1580, include references to the natives in the area around the Colima volcanoes (central western Mexico) using agaves to produce wine, vinegar, syrup, rope, clothing, wood for housing, needles, nails, thread, and balsam for treating injuries. It is unclear if the word “wine” (vino) is used to refer to a fermented or a distilled beverage, because the term “wine-mezcal” (vino-mezcal) has been widely used for distilled agave beverages in Central-western Mexico since at least the early seventeenth century. No documentation exists of agave spirits production before European contact, but evidence indicates that the traditional distillation process in use in central-western Mexico since at least the early Seventeenth century was probably first developed in Colima, in the lower Ayuquila-Tuxcacuezco-Armería (ATA) and Tuxpan-Naranjo-Coahuayana(TNC) river basins using Agave angustifolia Haw and through adaptation of the Philippine coconut spirits distillation technique. This method was introduced by the Filipinos brought to Colima by the Spanish to plant coconut plantations and work them. By the eighteenth century, agave spirit production had become quite important in areas of Colima where wild agave populations were abundant. The importance of agave spirits in Colima by the eighteenth century and the developmental trajectory that led to this significance were most probably rooted in a pre-Contact culture of fermented beverage production and consumption that formed part of a broad agave culture that included other uses such as food, fiber, fuel, construction, and others. Cultural Significance The Agave is one of the most important plants in Mexican culture. The term Maguey refers collectively to the some 200 species of agave that grows in many regions of the country. The plant has long been viewed mystically by the Mexican people, because of its being a rare producer of liquid in the dry desert. As such, it has long been revered. The Maguey is at the very heart of Mexican culture and it remains a link to the country's origin. For centuries, the natives of the northern Valley of Mexico have utilized the plant's numerous properties. Some varieties of maguey are medicinal, used, for example, to alleviate backache or abdominal pain. The fiber, the juice, leaves, roots, even the ash from the burned roots - virtually every part of the plant is somehow utilized in the desert areas where it is the only resource of abundance. The agave plant also played a significant role in the rituals of ancient cultures. Mexican priests used the thorns of agave in their ceremonies. The peoples who inhabited the high plateau of central Mexico used pulque, the fermented juice, in their rites, to enter the realms of their gods and communicate with them. Many Pre-Columbian people in Mesoamerica cultivated the agave. Agave nectar was known and widely used among the Pre-Columbian cultures. Along with honey, it was used a flavoring for several dishes, and as a sweetener when drinking chocolate. Both were highly valued and traded extensively throughout Mesoamerica. These products augmented other Mesoamerican foods, like maize. There is evidence that sweetmeat dessert-like substances made with toasted squash seeds or popped amaranth seeds and boiled agave syrup or honey were made and given as gifts and used as ritual offerings. Mildly alcoholic (fermented) drinks called aguamil, pulque and balche were made using agave syrup and/or honey. Agave nectar is usually sustainably harvested from the plant through a process which extends it’s life for about three years. Just before the agave grows its quiote, the top section of the piña is cut and scooped out into a hollow. The agave juice collects in this hollow is harvested daily. The nectar is then allowed to go through a natural enzymatic process, similar to honey, which results in a sweeter and thicker agave juice, somewhat sweeter than honey but with a thinner consistency. It has an additional advantage: it does not crystalize like honey or maple syrup. Agave syrup was also taken to make a low-alcohol, fermented drink called pulque. This appears to have been done for millennia, and was a widespread practice. Maya codices (folding books) depict feasting and drinking what was probably a form of pulque. Aztec codices also show scenes with pots brimming over, signifying the fermentation process. These are often shown with depictions of rabbits, symbolizing fertility and plenty. Pulque appears in pre-Hispanic "history" about 1000 A.D. A joyous mural called the "Pulque Drinkers" was unearthed in 1968 during excavations at the Great Pyramid in Cholula, Puebla, 70 miles east of Mexico City. From various archaeological findings, it is apparent that pulque was not a new thing when the mural was painted; the drink is at least 2,000 years old. It is the sap, called aguamiel or “honey water,” that becomes pulque through a natural fermentation process which can occur within the plant, but usually takes place at a "Tinacal" (place of production). The beverage became such an important element socially, economically and, as a consequence, religiously, that myths, legends and cults proliferated around it and its source, agave- many of which continue today. In the great Indian civilizations of the central highlands, pulque was served as a ritual intoxicant for priests-to increase their enthusiasm, for sacrificial victims-to ease their passing, and as a medicinal drink. pulque was also served as a liquor reserved to celebrate the feats of the brave and the wise, and was even considered to be an acceptable substitute for blood in some propitiatory ceremonies. Today the giant Agave pulque are first processed after 12 years of growth. Often, an outstanding plant will have an initiation attended by the local governor in honor of a potentially long production cycle. A good plant can produce for up to 1 year. The center of the maguey is regularly scraped out activating the plant’s production of aguamiel. A local custom for a man without sons is to process 6 plants and make and drink a special pulque, believed to remedy his situation. The drink is often considered a mythic aphrodisiac. The name Tlyaol is given to a good strain that makes one particularly virile. Pulque is frequently the potion of choice used by women during menstruation and lactation. Used as a landscaping specimen in the Southwestern United States, the agave’s ability to flourish in arid conditions makes it an ideal choice for water conserving areas. Though production of tequila is limited to Mexico, several bottling plants exist in the U.S., as part of an international trade agreement. Interestingly, agave is being grown in the deserts of the U.S. for scientific purposes. In the field of medicine, agave syrup scores very low on the glycemic index, and the fructose releases its sugars slowly, so it does not raise blood sugar. Agave nectar does not induce the pancreas to produce or release insulin. This makes agave nectar a great natural sweetener for anyone concerned about diabetes. In 2008, Mexican scientists discovered a method to produce tiny, nanometric sized synthetic diamonds from 80-proof (40% alcohol) tequila. Heating the tequila to over 800 degrees C (1,400 degrees F) to break its molecular structure, the tequila particles are then settled upon steel or silicon trays to form a thin and pure uniform layer. Extremely cheap to produce and far too small for jewels, the results may have numerous commercial and industrial applications such as in computer chips or cutting instruments. Additionally, the natural sugars in agave are being tested as a biofuel resource for the future. NCSCS Sixth Grade Social Studies Competency Goal 3-//The learner will analyze the impact of interactions between humans and their physical environments in South America and Europe.// Specifically, **Objective 3.01** Identify ways in which people of selected areas in South America and Europe have used, altered, and adapted to their environments in order to meet their needs, and evaluate the impact of their actions on the development of cultures and regions. The use and cultivation of agave in South America bears testament to human capacity for adaptability and ingenuity. The prominence of this plant in the Mesoamerican culture (as cited above) warrants the study of it. The Spanish and Filipino impact on the distilling of agave nectar to create one of Mexico’s more profitable imports (albeit alcoholic in nature) is interesting. The currently researched uses of agave for biofuel and “diamond” dust link the plant’s past history and cultural significance with a possible role in future global industry.
 * __ AGAVE SALMIANO PULQUE __**
 * Historical Origins **
 * Importation or cultivation of the plant in the U.S.:**
 * What We Can Learn About Culture From Studying the Plant**