As you travel through central Mexico, you see fields planted in long, straight rows of relatively large, but relatively low-growing plants. They are usually known elsewhere as agave plants, but in Mexico they are called maguey.

Some partially informed travelers just think of maguey as a popular drink. They should know that pulque, a local Mexican drink and internationally known tequila are made with magic juices. But maguey has many other uses. In fact, thousands of people in Mexico are employed in the manufacture of products from these extraordinary factories.

Appearance and growth

Maguey has a short and bulky stem, which makes it appear when the leaves sprout directly from the root. The gray-green leaves are thick and fleshy and are grouped around the base of the plant. But they can be nine meters long and thirty centimeters wide! The leaves are dotted with a sharp black thorn and have prickly edges.

Maguey is growing very slowly. Every year more leaves are formed and more and more food is stored in them. After about twenty to thirty years, a central barn grows, which in a few days reaches twenty meters or more in the air. This stem blooms with clusters of yellow flowers. And then the flower only once in a lifetime the plant dies.

The cultivation of maguey is not of recent origin. The Aztec Indians of Mexico, hundreds of years ago, cultivated the plant for the drink they made with juice, as well as for its fiberglass, which they used to weave. Maguey grows well in a climate between 64 and 73 ° F and at an altitude of about 3,500 to 6,500 feet. So make money in central Mexico, not far from Mexico City.

Pulque, popular drink in Mexico

Pulque is made from varieties of the maguey plant. This whitish milk drink is mainly produced and consumed in central Mexico, so few people outside the country know about it. Because its popularity is limited to Mexico, it is said to be "more Mexican than pulque" and refers to something common in the country.

Not much has changed in the production of pulque, as the Aztecs did centuries ago. When the maguey plant begins to drop its huge flower stalk, a herring with sugar juice hits the stem. By cutting off the bud before it appears and digging a hole in the middle of the plant, you can harvest this light juice, called watermelon. A plant is said to produce 265 liters of soup!

When you make pulque, the sugar broth can be fermented. When this liquid becomes thick, milky and more or less full-bodied due to sugars being turned into alcohol, the product is sold as pulque. In 1521, after hearing the original name of this fermented beverage, Spanish heard "Poliuhqui" (disintegrated), "sledge", and the name was preserved. Some people find the smell and structure of pulque difficult, but the drink has remained popular.

Indigenous people used pulque as an ingredient in various medicines. Even today, the drink is known to have many healthy properties, especially when used in moderation. It contains a good deal of protein, vitamin B, vitamin C and mineral salt. In principle, the same nutrients are found in sledges that are found in milk and meat.

In the Mexican states of Mexico and Hidalgo, the use of pulque is very common; children drink alone from a young age. However, if they are not used in moderation, the results can be harmful. Overuse can even cause mental numbness and swelling of the face and limbs. An indication of the negative effects it can have is the proverb that some Mexicans use for pulque, namely: "The white nectar of black dreams."

Tequila and mezcal

An even more widely used maguey drink is tequila. Tequila production is an important industry in Mexico. More than eight million gallons are produced annually, of which about 10% are exported. Tequila is made with blue maguey.

To get tequila, the blue maguey must reach maturity, which lasts six to thirteen years. The leaves are then cut until the central stem is hollow like a pineapple-shaped bowl in which the juice collects. This soup is taken to the factory, where it is left to ferment, by obtaining a clear and transparent drink through a distillation process. It is very strong and can not cause harmful effects if not used in moderation.

Mezcal is another drink made by distilling the juice from the maguey plant. It has a yellowish color and is also a strong alcoholic beverage that is only used in moderation. Interestingly, some types of mezcal come with a mask inside the bottle. These worms, which live in magic plants, are also used as food by some Mexicans.

Other Maguey products

Other products made with the Maguey plant include different types of syrups. One of them is amber, clear and transparent and has a refined taste. It is considered a therapeutic value due to its high content of vitamins and proteins.

Maguey also produces high quality vinegar and industrial alcohol. The same goes for chewing gum, which is similar to gum arabic and synthetic wood. The strong fibers, called "island", obtained from maguey leaves, are used to make yarns of excellent quality. And maguey is also used as fodder for cattle.

Maguey is cultivated by the humble people of Mexico, who benefit from it in many ways. They burn it as fuel and the green or dried leaves are used to wrap delicious local dishes. The dried leaves are also used to cover masonry houses. In the early 1960s, the Mexican government created Patronato Maguey, whose goal is to study and plan for a better use of the factory and its products, in order to improve the living standards of the workers in Maguey.

Therefore, like many other things that the earth produces, maguey is a plant that can be used in various ways for the benefit of man.