Aguamiel ( literally ''agua'' "water" ''miel'' "honey") is the sap of the Mexican maguey plant which is believed to have therapeutic qualities. According to Native American histories, the process of obtaining aguamiel from maguey was first discovered during the reign of

Tecpancaltzin Tecpancaltzin Iztaccaltzin was the ninth Tlatoani, ruler of the Toltec Empire. He began his reign when his mother, Xihuiquenitzin Ziuhcaltzin died in about 833. Dates in Toltec history are not entirely accurate, as the Toltec calendar is not compl ...

(c. 990–1042) by a

Toltec The Toltec culture () was a Pre-Columbian era, pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture that ruled a state centered in Tula (Mesoamerican site), Tula, Hidalgo (state), Hidalgo, Mexico, during the Epiclassic and the early Post-Classic period of Mesoam ...

noble named Papantzin, whose daughter Xochitl was sent to the king with an offering of aguamiel. The sap is found in abundance among the

agave ''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the arid regions of the Americas. The genus is primarily known for its succulent and xerophytic species that typically form large Rosette (botany), rosettes of strong, fleshy leaves. Many plan ...

plants which grow among the ruins of the

Teotihuacan Teotihuacan (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Teotihuacán'', ; ) is an ancient Mesoamerican city located in a sub-valley of the Valley of Mexico, which is located in the State of Mexico, northeast of modern-day Mexico City. Teotihuacan is ...

civilization. Also called honeywater it has been used in

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

as a medicine. In its

fermented Fermentation is a type of anaerobic metabolism which harnesses the redox potential of the reactants to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and organic end products. Organic compound, Organic molecules, such as glucose or other sugars, are Catabo ...

state it has been enjoyed as a beverage for centuries. The particularly viscous beer made from Aguamiel is known as

pulque Pulque (; ), occasionally known as octli or agave wine, is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey (agave) plant. It is traditional in central Mexico, where it has been produced for millennia. It has the color of milk, ...

in Mexico. It was available commercially beginning in 1910 and its sale was emphasized only in California prior to late 1928."Big Possibilities Shown by Zonite", ''The Wall Street Journal'', September 21, 1928, pg. 12. An individual maguey plant can produce about 1000L of aguamiel over the course of three to six months. Over the course of the production period, the volume of aguamiel varies from about 0.4L/day at the beginning and end of production, to about 4–6L/day at the peak. It is obtained from the agave plant through cutting a growing, flowering stock, which releases the agave's sweet sap. After the plant is cut, sap can be harvested from the plant for up to two months.{{Cite book, title=Plants and Society, last1=Levetin, first1=Estelle, last2=McMahon, first2=Karen, publisher=McGraw-Hill, year=2012, isbn=978-0-07-352422-1, location=New York, pages=438 Aguamiel was distributed by the Agmel Products Corporation prior to the company's acquisition by Zonite Products Corporation in March 1928. It could be obtained only in certain areas of Mexico and would spoil quickly. Aguamiel's use was not widespread until a rigorous process of

concentration In chemistry, concentration is the abundance of a constituent divided by the total volume of a mixture. Several types of mathematical description can be distinguished: '' mass concentration'', '' molar concentration'', '' number concentration'', ...

was developed."Zonite Corporation", ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'', March 8, 1928, p. 7.

References

Agave Oaxacan cuisine Mexican drinks Medical treatments es:Aguamiel

See also

References