A mezcal worm is an

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

found in some types of

mezcal Mezcal (, ), sometimes spelled mescal, is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave. The word ''mezcal'' comes from Nahuatl , which means "oven-cooked agave", from and .What is MezcalElmezcal.org Traditionally the word "m ...

produced in

Oaxaca Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. The larva is usually either a ''gusano rojo'' ("red worm") or a ''chinicuil'' ("

maguey worm Maguey worms ( es, gusano del maguey, ; ), are one of two species of edible caterpillars that infest maguey (''Agave americana'') and '' Agave tequilana'' plants. White maguey worm The white maguey worms, known as ''meocuiles'', are caterpillar ...

"), the

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

of the ''

Comadia redtenbacheri ''Comadia redtenbacheri'' is a moth in the family Cossidae. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Mexico and southern Texas. The length of the forewings is 12–14 mm for males and 13–16 mm for females. The fo ...

'' moth. The red worm is typically considered tastier. On a bachelorette party in Mexico, the historical tradition is for the maid of honor to eat the worm. This is known as representational symbolism, in which the future bride passes the torch to her closest loved one - akin to a throwing of the bouquet.

History

Although the custom is relatively recent, larvae are used frequently by several brands of mezcal to give flavor to the drink. A whole larva is deposited in the bottle, normally after having previously been cured in pure alcohol. Nacional Vinicola (NAVISA) was the first company to add a worm to its Gusano Rojo mezcal. Andres Paniagua and Jacobo Lozano, creators of Gusano Rojo and Dos Gusanos, first introduced the practice of adding larva to mezcal. Today, several brands are doing this including Patron.

Other kinds of worms

The other variety of "worm" in mezcal is the

of a

weevil Weevils are beetles belonging to the Taxonomic rank, superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than in length, and Herbivore, herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They b ...

known as ''picudo del agave'', ''

Scyphophorus acupunctatus ''Scyphophorus acupunctatus'', the sisal weevil or agave weevil, is a species of polyphaga beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into win ...

'', the agave snout weevil, that infests certain species of

yucca ''Yucca'' is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40–50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flo ...

and

maguey Maguey may refer to various American plants: * Genus ''Agave'', especially ** Species ''Agave americana'', the century plant ** Species '' Agave salmiana'' * Genus ''Furcraea'', a source of natural fiber * Maguey flowers, an edible flower Other use ...

. They are not related to edible

s (which are, in reality, a species each of moth or butterfly larvae) of central

. The weevil is a pest that can severely damage

agave ''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the hot and arid regions of the Americas and the Caribbean, although some ''Agave'' species are also native to tropical areas of North America, such as Mexico. The genus is primarily known for ...

plants, by eating the plant to death from the inside. If only a few infest the plant, they can still carry and infect the plant with harmful

bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...

leading to plant death. In some cases, up to 40% of a maguey harvest has been lost to weevil infestations. Infection-resistant varieties of the plant are being developed. ''Picudo'' larvae may be roasted and eaten; they are a seasonal specialty of markets in southeastern Mexico.

References

Insects of Mexico Insects as food Mexican cuisine Mexican distilled drinks Mexican alcoholic drinks Larvae Insect common names {{mexico-cuisine-stub

History

Other kinds of worms

See also

References