Agaves in early Mexico
Ancient beliefs
Mayahuel, the agave deity of 400 breasts represents fertility and abundance that agave plants offer since ancient times. Although some argue that Meteotl was the actual agave god.
Maguey in Mexican cultures
The oldest use of agave dates back to 7,000bc according to Smith, 1986 (Archaic Foraging and Early agriculture in Oaxaca, Mexico) finding evidence of agave usage as food from the Guilá caves excavations.
Agaves have been used as food, fermented and distilled drinks, fibers, animal feedstock, medicine, soap, fuel, construction and ornamental.
Appellation of Origin Territory
The Appellation of Origin "MEZCAL" is protected in the articles 157 & 167 of the Industrial Property Law, to be applied to the drink with the same name referred by the NOM-SCFI-1994 Mezcal and subsequent modifications.
This protection is guarded by the verification organisms assuring product authenticity and physicochemical quality of the product to the consumer.
Currently, this means that the drink can only be produced in 9 states of Mexico only with 100% agave.
Ancient beliefs
Mayahuel, the agave deity of 400 breasts represents fertility and abundance that agave plants offer since ancient times. Although some argue that Meteotl was the actual agave god.
Maguey in Mexican cultures
The oldest use of agave dates back to 7,000bc according to Smith, 1986 (Archaic Foraging and Early agriculture in Oaxaca, Mexico) finding evidence of agave usage as food from the Guilá caves excavations.
Agaves have been used as food, fermented and distilled drinks, fibers, animal feedstock, medicine, soap, fuel, construction and ornamental.
Agaves in early Mexico