Demystifying the Maguey
It wouldn’t be an inaccurate claim to say that mezcal is experiencing a sort of renaissance right now. In fact, the spirit has really put Oaxaca on the map as of late. Mezcalaphilia has taken hold of the gringo heart and pallet, and this can be seen on the rural palenques as a new colonial wave of whites have arrived in recent years to plunder the riches of the modest yet practical and essential maguey. Mezcal is a distilled spirit made from the heart of the maguey plant (a species of agave). When harvested the hearts of the maguey, or piña, are cooked or roasted for several days in an earthen oven. The hearts are then mashed to extract the liquids to be fermented. After the fermentation period mezcal is twice distilled. The results of the process vary geographically and culturally. Mezcal is regionally and culturally influenced. This means that mezcal is an extremely diverse spirit when it comes to flavor.
A once modest production for consumption mezcal has skyrocketed and in recent years, with its exportation northward and otherwise, has become a championed spirit, perhaps, controversial as it might be for me to say over overtaking tequila as the drink of preference of Mexican origin. Yes, mezcal is delicious. But I am not here to tell you about mezcal, I am hear to tell you about the magnificent maguey of which mezcal is derived from.
Mezcal is one of many byproducts of the maguey. To really understand the importance of this plant to Oaxaca and Mexico it is necessary to gaze into the crystal ball of history at the prehispanic period. Archaeologists believe that the maguey was an extremely important resource during the prehispanic period. This is especially the case due to the fact corn, the Mesoamerican dietary staple, had yet to be fully domesticated. This meant that maguey was an invaluable food source, especially so in the drier climates of the Oaxacan valley. It has been discovered that maguey was used as a dietary staple but also as an important material for building and textiles.
The strong fibers of the miguey have been used to make cloth, thread, twine and rope, and the spines made into needles for sewing. The flesh was and is used as a food source as well as the delectable flowers. The sap was and is used as a fresh (aguamiel) and fermented drink (pulque); however, in the prehispanic period pulque was typically reserved for certain classes of citizens to be consumed during rituals or festivals. Certain byproducts of the liquid consumption and fermentation were likely used for construction purposes. Furthemore, the sap production of a mature maguey can last for several months and after a certain period of time it can dry itself out making the plant dry and leathery. Leaves could be used as fuel or for construction periods, and it is possible that the larger thicker stems were used as posts for certain structures.
More than its tactility, maguey was and is also a sacred plant. It is looked over by its goddess Mayhuel who is best known as the the godess of maguey fertility. It is believed that the first maguey is derived from Mayhuel’s body which was torn to pieces and buried by a vengeful god Quetzalcoatl. Pulque was an important ritualistic drink during many ceremonies, and the spines of the plant were even used by priests and upper-class citizens for sacrifice and autosacrifice. Contemporary shamanic uses of the maguey include the indulgence and resulting catharsis of mezcal consumption during ceremonies including prayer, ritual and dance. There are many mythologies and stories surrounding the pant and they add importance to its contemporary uses. The plant has been used to treat illnesses ranging from syphilis to a sore throat. It has antibacterial properties which aid in gastrointestinal problems or bacterial infections.
Before moving to Oaxaca I knew little about the maguey. Like many before me I had mistaken it for an aloe plant or a cactus, but it isn’t related to either. It is a beautiful plant and that is as much as I knew. I was once told that the maguey flower will only bloom once in the plants lifetime and after it opens itself up to reproduction it will die. This is at once tremendously saddening and at the same time so beautiful. After moving here it wasn’t long before I had indulged on the multitude of consumable delectable the plant produces.
Flor de Maguey is likely one of the more rare and delicious dishes produced from the plant. The flower petals are cooked down into a tomato broth or stew that envelops itself in a tender sweetness and possess a tender aromatic quality that one might only recognize while on a palenque in the countryside. Another favorite dish of mine is a simple barbacoa. This dish of ground cooked mutton utilizes the large leaves of the maguey which are wrapped around the meat and organs of a sheep and cooked under the earth allowing the meat to stew into a delicate mess of carnivorous delight. Another delicacy is a byproduct of the plant is the parasitic chinicuil or mezcal worm. This worm accompanied by the gusano (a red worm also found in the maguey) can be dried and salted for consumption, ground into salt for rimming cocktails, and powdered to be consumed with mezcal and a wedge of orange. You may also find a worm or larva at the bottom of a bottle of smokey cheap mezcal. Of course one cannot forget the refreshing qualities of aguamiel which can be enjoyed fresh or fermented into a deliriously sweet, sour and sometimes gooey concoction of pulque. And if you, like many, can’t seem to find a palate for pulque, it is often mixed with strawberries, guayabe, or pineapple to enhance the sweetness and distract you from its naturally funky potential.
While maguey has come to be widely known for mezcal production, we can see that the plant is extremely versatile. With its rise in popularity one can only hope that it does not suffer the same fate as tequila with increasing commercialization and the products commodfication the risk remains that the product will increasingly become more homogenized and lose out on what makes it special: its almost limitless feeling variety. Furthermore, increasing popularity of mezcal will increase the pressure on its resource, the maguey. The maguey is so integral to Oaxaca and Mexico as a resource, a sacred symbol, and as a product for communal subsistence that we need to be weary of its exploitation in the mezcal agribusiness. My hope is to see the continual traditional practices of maguey use, highlighted by small batch production of mezcal with less emphasis on export and more emphasis on localizing economies. Maguey in prehispanic times was a type of capital for trade, and it kept the Oaxacan valley rich in culture and promoted healthy commerce. There are many who will echo this when I say, do not forget the heritage of the mighty maguey and its cultural significance born of necessity and the plants versatility. Keep Mayhuel safe from greed and plunder.