Pulque, or octli, is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of the maguey, and is a traditional native beverage of Mesoamerica. Fermentation in Food processing typically refers to the conversion of Sugar to Alcohol using Yeast under Anaerobic conditions The Century Plant or Maguey ( Agave americana) is an Agave originally from Mexico but cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant Mesoamerica or Meso-America (Mesoamérica is a Region extending approximately from central Mexico to Honduras and Nicaragua, defined Though it is commonly believed to be a beer, the main carbohydrate is a complex form of fructose rather than starch.
The maguey plant is not a cactus (as has sometimes been mistakenly suggested) but an Agave, believed to be the species salmiana, subspecies salmiana. A cactus (plural cacti) is any member of the Spine plant family Cactaceae, native to the Americas Agave is a succulent Plant of a large Botanical Genus of the same name belonging to the family Agavaceae. The plant was one of the most sacred plants in Mexico and had a prominent place in religious rituals and Mesoamerican industry.
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History
Pulque is depicted in Native American stone carvings from as early as 200 AD. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. The origin of pulque is unknown, but because it has a major position in religion, many folk tales explain its origins. According to one pre-Columbian legendary account, during the reign of Tecpancaltzin, a Toltec noble named Papantzin discovered the secret of extracting aguamiel from the maguey plant. Toltec-style Vessel 1jpg|thumb|250px|right|A rather expressive orange-ware clay vessel in the Toltec style Prior to the Spanish conquest, the Aztecs consumed it at religious ceremonies. The Spanish colonization of the Americas was Spain 's conquest settlement and rule over much of the Western hemisphere. Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who achieved political
Production
Pulque is made in the following fashion: When the plant's flower stem shoots up, it is hollowed in the centre. Normally, 8 to 10 years are required for the plant to mature to the point where this can be done. The juice aguamiel, that should have supplied the flowers, is taken from it daily for a period of about two months. The aguamiel is then fermented (usually in large barrels inside in a building known as a tinacal which is specially reserved for pulque fermentation), after which it is immediately fit for drinking. Pulque is usually sold directly in bulk from the tinacal, or by the serving in a version of a cantina known as a pulquería. Cantina is a word that can refer to various places and establishments Traditionally in pulquerías, pulque is served in a glass known as a tornillo (screw, for its shape) or a bowl known as a jicara.
Pulque is still made and drunk in limited quantities in parts of Mexico today. However, because it cannot easily be stored or preserved (its character and flavor change over a short period of storage time, as little as a day), it is not well known outside the country. A process for preserving and canning pulque has been developed, and now canned pulque is being exported to the US in limited quantities (see photo); the alcohol content of the canned product is 6%. Aficionados of pulque usually consider the canned varieties to be inferior.
Often pulque is mixed with fruit juices such as mango and pineapple in which case it is called a curado to render it palatable to those who do not appreciate its unusual flavor. Mangoes belong to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous species of tropical fruiting Trees in the Flowering plant family Anacardiaceae Pineapple ( Ananas comosus) is the common name for an edible Tropical Plant and also its Fruit It is native to the southern part of Brazil
Mezcal (or mescal) is the name given to a double-distilled spirit which also comes from the maguey plant. Mezcal (from Nahuatl mexcalli, "earth roast maguey hearts" wrongly known as 'mescal' is a Mexican distilled spirit protected by International Today there are well defined and regulated regions (A. O. C. ) for both mezcal and Tequila in Mexico. Tequila is a mezcal, made only from the blue agave plant, from the region of southwestern Mexico around the town of Tequila, Jalisco. Tequila is an agave-based spirit made primarily in the area surrounding Tequila, in the northwest of Guadalajara and in the highlands ( Blue agave, the tequila agave of the Agave tequilana species is an Agave plant that is an important economic product of Jalisco Tequila is a municipality in the central part of the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Aguamiel (from which pulque is made) is the natural juice of the maguey plant, whereas mezcal is the clear spirit made out of the heart of the plant itself. The flavor is either bitter or sweet, depending on how one prefers it. If one enjoys it strong then it is drunk neat (or in its undiluted form), and if not a bit of honey is added.
In the Aztec pantheon of deities, pulque production was represented by the god of pulque, Tepoztecatl, and the gods of drunkenness, such as Macuil-Tochtli or Five Rabbit and Ometochtli or Two Rabbit, both part of the pantheon of Centzon Totochtin, the four hundred rabbit gods of drunkenness. The Aztec civilization recognized a polytheistic mythology which contained the many gods (over 100 and supernatural creatures from their religious beliefs In Aztec mythology, Tepoztecatl (or Tezcatzontecatl) was the god of Pulque, of drunkenness and fertility Macuiltochtli ("Five Rabbit" from Nahuatl, macuilli, five tochtli, rabbit is one of the five deities from Aztec and other central Ometochtli ( Nahuatl for "Two Rabbit" a day sign of the Aztec calendar) is a god of Drunkenness in the Aztec pantheon. In Aztec mythology, the Centzon Totochtin ("four-hundred Rabbits quot also Centzontotochtin) are a group of deities who meet for frequent parties
A tradition in pulquerías is for drinkers to slop a small amount of the pulque in their glass on the floor as a sacrifice to Two Rabbit.
See also
References
- Miller, Mary; and Karl Taube (1993). Chicha is a term used in some regions of Latin America for several varieties of fermented beverages, particularly those derived from Maize, but which also Cauim is a traditional Alcoholic beverage or Beer of the Indigenous peoples in Brazil since pre-Columbian times Agave syrup (also called agave nectar) is a sweetener commercially produced in Mexico, from several species of Agave, including Agave tequilana Mary Ellen Miller (b December 30, 1952) is an American Art historian and academic at Yale University. Karl Andreas Taube (born September 14, 1957) is an American Mesoamericanist, Archaeologist, Epigrapher and ethnohistorian The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya: An Illustrated Dictionary of Mesoamerican Religion. London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-05068-6. OCLC 27667317. The OCLC Online Computer Library Center is according to its website a "nonprofit membership computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purpose
- Ramirez, Juan F. ; A. Sanchez-Marroquin, Mario M. Alvarez, and Ruud Valyasevi (2004). "Industrialization of Mexican Pulque", in Keith H. Steinkraus (ed. Keith H Steinkraus (born 1918 is an American food scientist who was well known in food fermentation which led to the growth of Soy -based foods ): Industrialization of Indigenous Fermented Foods, 2nd edition revised and expanded, Food science and technology series # 136, New York: Marcel Dekker, pp. 547–586. ISBN 0-8247-4784-4. OCLC 56662974. The OCLC Online Computer Library Center is according to its website a "nonprofit membership computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purpose
- Schwartz, Jeremy (2007-12-15), written at Mexico City, “Rebirth for an ancient elixir”, Austin American-Statesman (Austin, TX: Cox Newspapers), <http://www.statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/world/12/15/1215pulque.html>. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of The Austin American-Statesman is the major daily Newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. Retrieved on 2007-12-20
External links
- Interesting article on the pulqueras of Apan and Zempoala in Mexico (in Spanish)
- Pulque on tequilamescal.com
- Pulque La Lucha
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