Agave syrup (also called agave nectar) is a sweetener commercially produced in Mexico, from several species of agave, including Agave tequilana (also called Blue Agave or Tequila Agave), and the Salmiana, Green, Grey, Thorny, and Rainbow varieties. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Agave is a succulent Plant of a large Botanical Genus of the same name belonging to the family Agavaceae. Blue agave, the tequila agave of the Agave tequilana species is an Agave plant that is an important economic product of Jalisco [1] Agave syrup is sweeter than honey, though less viscous. Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a Fluid which is being deformed by either Shear stress or Extensional stress.
Agave syrup is produced in the Mexican States of Jalisco, Michoacán, Guanajuato and Tamaulipas, according to Mexican laws pertaining to certificate of origin, although most is produced in Jalisco.
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Production
To produce agave nectar, juice is expressed from the core of the agave, called the piña. [1] The juice is filtered, then heated, to hydrolyze carbohydrates into sugars. Hydrolysis is a Chemical reaction during which one or more water molecules are split into hydrogen and hydroxide ions which may go on to participate in further reactions The main carbohydrate is a complex form of fructose called inulin or fructosan. Inulins are a group of naturally occurring Polysaccharides (several simple sugars linked together produced by many types of plants The filtered, hydrolyzed juice is concentrated to a syrup-like liquid a little thinner than honey.
There is a United States patent for a process that uses enzymes to hydrolyze the polyfructose extract into fructose, using an enzyme derived from Aspergillus niger (black mold). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Enzymes are Biomolecules that catalyze ( ie increase the rates of Chemical reactions Almost all enzymes are Proteins Hydrolysis is a Chemical reaction during which one or more water molecules are split into hydrogen and hydroxide ions which may go on to participate in further reactions Aspergillus niger is a Fungus and one of the most common species of the genus Aspergillus. [2]
Composition
Agave syrup consists primarily of fructose and glucose. Fructose (also levulose or laevulose) is a simple reducing Sugar ( Monosaccharide) found in many foods and is one of the three Glucose (Glc a Monosaccharide (or simple Sugar) also known as grape sugar, is an important Carbohydrate in Biology. One source[3] gives 92% fructose and 8% glucose; another[4] gives 56% fructose and 20% glucose. These differences presumably reflect variation from one vendor of agave syrup to another.
There is significant concern about the health effects of fructose, since Agave has a fructose content much higher than high-fructose corn syrup. Fructose (also levulose or laevulose) is a simple reducing Sugar ( Monosaccharide) found in many foods and is one of the three Due to its fructose content, agave syrup is notable in that its glycemic index and glycemic load are apparently lower than most if not all other natural sweeteners on the market [5]. The Glycemic index (also glycaemic index) or GI is a measure of the effects of Carbohydrates on Blood glucose levels The glycemic load (GL is a ranking system for Carbohydrate content in food portions based on their Glycemic index (GI and the portion size
Culinary use
Agave syrup may be substituted for sugar in recipes.
- Use 1/3 cup of agave syrup for every 1 cup of sugar in the original recipe.
- The quantity of liquids in the original recipe must be reduced due to the moisture included in the syrup.
- Some chefs also reduce the oven temperature by 25°F in recipes requiring baking.
Vegans in particular commonly use agave syrup to replace honey in recipes. It is also a very effective sweetener for cold beverages such as iced tea as, unlike sugar and honey, it dissolves readily in cold liquids.
References
- ^ a b Blue Agave and Its Importance in the Tequila Industry
- ^ Method of producing fructose syrup from agave plants (United States Patent 5846333) (1998-12-08). Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe.
- ^ Ronald C. Deis (February 2001). "Sweetners for Health Foods". Food Product Design.
- ^ Ralf Patzold and Hans Bruckner (2005). "Mass Spectrometric Detection and Formation of D-Amino Acids in Processed Plant Saps, Syrups, and Fruit Juice Concentrates". J. Agric. Food Chem 53: 9722−9729.
- ^ David Mendosa. "Revised International Table of Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) Values—2002". The Glycemic index (also glycaemic index) or GI is a measure of the effects of Carbohydrates on Blood glucose levels The glycemic load (GL is a ranking system for Carbohydrate content in food portions based on their Glycemic index (GI and the portion size
Bibliography
Mancilla-Margalli, N. A. , and M. G. Lopez. "Generation of Maillard Compounds From Inulin During the Thermal Processing of Agave tequilana Weber var. azul. J. Agric. Food Chem. vol. 50 (2002), pp. 806-812.
See also
- Agave
- Agave americana (AKA Century plant)
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