Unit 2 - Lesson 5 - Agave Flashcards
Where is Agave indigenous?
Mexico, American SW
What species of Agave can only be used in spirits production?
Blue Agave
What veggis is agave related?
Asparagus
Why was Agave important?
Source of food and water
Used fibres for cloths and other fabrics and alcohol
Home to tequila
Amititan and Jalisco, MX
Where must tequila be made
it must be made in the Mexican state of Jalisco and specific cities in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.
How many agave species and how many used for spirits?
250 total
40 used for ABV
Climate for agave
1,500-3,000m in sandy soils
17-25° C
What are pencas?
The blue spikey leaves on Agave up to 2 m
How long does Agave age?
up to 30 years
What is Quiote
It is when agave ages -the tall vertical stalks growing up to 15m high
Flowers emerge from these
How often do agave plants flower?
Once in a lifetime
How are agave commercially grown?
Usually through cloning
Planted 2m apart and 3m between rows
What is a piña
The heart of Agave
What are the sugar levels of Agave in the piña?
24° Brix
What are Fructans?
Inulin which are polysaccharide fructose molecules
How many kgs of piña to make 1 L of tequila
6-8 kg
Average harvest age of Agave
8-10 years
Jimador / Coa / Pencas
Jimador - Labor that harvest agave
Coa - spade used to cut..
Pencas - the long spines
How long is replanted after harvest for Agave?
at least 1 year
What is unique about mezcal?
Made from dozens of Agave species
Espadin (Agave Augustafolia)
Mose widely used in mezcal
Similar to Blue Agave
Maturity in 9 years
Tepextate (Agave marmorata)
Agave used in mezal Harvested wild 30 year to mature Grow random spots Difficult to harvest
Madre-Cuishe (Agave karwinskii)
One of the more physically bizarre looking agaves, this species sits atop large woody stalks that push the body of the plant nearly two metres above the ground. Because of this, and the subsequent complications in harvesting, the distiller may include a small percentage of the base stalk with the piñas during the cooking process.