Tejuino is a cold

fermented beverage This is a list of fermented foods, which are foods produced or preserved by the action of microorganisms. In this context, Fermentation in food processing, fermentation typically refers to the fermentation of sugar to ethanol, alcohol using yeas ...

made from

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

and popularly consumed in the

Mexican states A Mexican State (), officially the Free and Sovereign State (), is a constituent federative entity of Mexico according to the Constitution of Mexico. Currently there are 31 states, each with its own constitution, government, state governor, a ...

Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...

Colima Colima, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Colima, is among the 31 states that make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Colima. Colima is a small state of western Mexico on the cen ...

Nayarit Nayarit, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in Municipalities of Nayarit, 20 municipalit ...

and

Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...

. Tejuino is usually made from corn dough, the same kind used for tortillas and

tamale A tamale, in Spanish language, Spanish , is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of ''masa'', a dough made from nixtamalization, nixtamalized maize, corn, which is steaming, steamed in a corn husk or Banana leaf, banana leaves. The wrapping ...

s. The dough is mixed with water and piloncillo (cone-shaped unrefined cane sugar) and boiled until the liquid is very thick. The liquid is then allowed to ferment very slightly. The resulting drink is generally served cold, with lime juice, a pinch of salt and a scoop of shaved ice or lime sorbet. Although the drink is strongly associated with the state of Jalisco, it is also commonly found in other parts of

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 ...

and more recently in Mexican American communities across the

Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural list of regions of the United States, region of the United States that includes Arizona and New Mexico, along with adjacen ...

. In Mexico it is usually sold by street vendors in small plastic cups or in plastic bags tied around a straw. In the United States it can be found in Mexican juice bars.

Origin

The exact origin of tejuino is disputed; however, most Mexicans agree that the drink dates back to pre-Columbian times. The ancient

Nahua people The Nahuas ( ) are a Uto-Aztecan languages, Uto-Nahuan ethnicity and one of the Indigenous people of Mexico, with Nahua minorities also in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. They comprise the largest Indigenous group i ...

of Mexico viewed tejuino as the "drink of the gods" and it is still called this by some Mexicans today.

Variations

Within the state of Jalisco there are variations as to how it is served. In Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, for example, tejuino is served without ''nieve de limon''; in Guadalajara, Jalisco, it is usually served with ''nieve de limon'', at the buyer's discretion. ''Nieve de limon'' is a homemade lime sorbet that is often added to the drink to bring out its natural flavor.

Alcohol content

Since tejuino is only allowed to ferment for a couple of days at most, the alcohol content is actually very low. There is a common myth among Mexicans that one can get drunk from drinking too much tejuino; however, this is usually due to the addition of small amounts of beer in some recipes rather than the alcohol content of the tejuino itself.

References

{{corn Maize-based drinks Mexican drinks Fermented drinks Mexican alcoholic drinks

Origin

Variations

Alcohol content

See also

References