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|     By Gayla SandersThousands of years ago, the story goes, the Aztecs followed the orders of the god Huitzilopochtli and began a pilgrimage in search of the land of the metl (Mexico). They would know they were there when they saw an eagle perched on top of a cactus eating a snake. This is still the symbolism on the flag of Mexico. The name of the city they founded means ‘where the God of the Magueys lives’. The name of this deity is Mayahuel and she is represented as a figure nursing humanity with the juice of the maguey which is her blood. The Aztecs did drink the juice of specific varieties of the maguey both ritually and as a nutritional supplement for nursing mothers. The maguey juice was collected and fermented to form a weak alcoholic drink called "pulque". Pulque still exists in Mexico today as the ancient predecessor to mezcal and tequila. 400 deities exist in honour of pulque, each representing a different state of intoxication. To this day it is common to spill a few drops of pulque in honour of the main god before indulging in the drink. Drink is not the only use the Aztecs made of the agave. The tender young stem and flowers of the flower stalk were roasted and boiled as food. The spines were even used as sewing needles. Fibres extracted from the leaves were used like hemp to make bags, rope, paper and musical instruments. After the conquest of Mexico by the Spanish, the fibre was used to produce harnesses, bridles and saddles for horses. The flower stalks (which are often several feet tall) have been used to produce furniture, fishing poles, and fences. The sap has been used to produce soap and for medicinal purposes as a diuretic, and to cure ulcers and bruises. Today the culture of agave has contributed to local economies in specific areas of Mexico. Mezcal for example, is primarily produced in and around the city of Oaxaca by small, family run distilleries and growers. The drink is becoming less a novelty item purchased by tourists and more a serious alcoholic beverage appreciated by aficionados. As this continues, the industry will only grow/expand. Agave is finally coming into its own globally as the super plant the Mexican people have known it to be for over 9,000 years.
In part 2 of our series, Gayla discusses the cultivation and harvest of
agave, explaining the production of mezcal and tequila and dispelling common
misconceptions about the differences between the two drinks.
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