Pulque

The pulque is considered Mexican national drink. It is an alcoholic fermented drink from the fermented juice of various agave plants especially the agave salmiana. The fermentation is not - caused by yeasts, but by the bacterium Zymomonas mobilis - as with most other ethanol -containing Gärgetränken. Pulque is a milky and contains about 2 to 6 vol - % alcohol ( ethanol).

The agave and the drink play a major role in the mythology and religious rituals of the indigenous population of Mexico. The emergence of pulque is unknown, but its associated rituals appear in rock paintings, which have emerged around the year 200. After an Indian story a nobleman of the Toltecs found called Papantzin the time of the reign of Tecpancaltzin how to get the juice ( aguamiel ) from the agave and produces pulque. The Aztecs used it as a drink during religious ceremonies. There are numerous cups or goblets from pre-Columbian times in the form of a monkey, which were probably intended for the consumption of pulque; the monkey symbolizes the intoxicated state of the person drinking.

The Aztecs called the drink ixtac octli (white liquor). The name " pulque " is derived probably from mistakenly octli poliuhqui ( tainted liquor). This designation was used for a übergorenen pulque.

Even today, pulque is still manufactured and consumed in some parts of Mexico, but only in limited quantities and mainly in rural areas. The main cultivation is on the plateau of the state of Hidalgo.

Pulque spoils quickly and can not be stored or transported, so the drink outside of Mexico is hardly available.

Three quarters of the total production of pulque is derived from the juice of the agave salmiana by fermentation, the rest mainly from the Agave americana in the southern areas in the state of Oaxaca. In addition Aguamiel is also harvested from agave Agave marmorata mapisaga and especially in Central Mexico ..

Famous People

In the first half of the 20th century there were two legendary Mexican soccer goalkeepers who have been associated with the pulque: Cirilo Roa was known to enter the field of play regularly with a pitcher of pulque, which he drank during the game. Ángel Antonio León was generally known by the nickname Pulques Leon because his family make a living related to the sales of the drink.