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Aguamiel (
literally ''Literally'' is an English adverb. It has been controversially used as an intensifier for figurative statements. History The first known use of the word ''literally'' was in the 15th century, or the 1530s, when it was used in the sense of "in ...
''agua'' "water" ''miel'' "honey") is the sap of the
Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
maguey Maguey may refer to various American plants: * Genus '' Agave'', especially ** Species ''Agave americana'', the century plant ** Species ''Agave salmiana ''Agave salmiana'' (also known as ''maguey pulquero'' and green maguey) is a species of the ...
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 (c. 990–1042) by a
Toltec The Toltec culture () was a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture that ruled a state centered in Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico, during the Epiclassic and the early Post-Classic period of Mesoamerican chronology, reaching prominence from 950 to 1150 CE. T ...
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 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 which grow among the ruins of the
Teotihuacan Teotihuacan ( 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 known today as ...
civilization. Also called honeywater it has been used in
Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
as a medicine. In its
fermented Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food p ...
state it has been enjoyed as a beverage for centuries. The particularly viscous beer made from Aguamiel is known as
pulque Pulque (; nci, metoctli), or octli, 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, a rather viscous c ...
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 Zonite Products Corporation was a New York City based company formed in 1922. Headquartered in the Chrysler Building, it became a leader in the medical preparations' field starting in 1930. In February 1930, it purchased for $215,000 the New Bruns ...
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'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'', March 8, 1928, p. 7.


See also

*
Agave nectar ''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 i ...


References

Agave Oaxacan cuisine Mexican drinks Medical treatments es:Aguamiel