Unit 2 - Lesson 5 - Agave

Question 1

Where is Agave indigenous?

Answer 1

Mexico, American SW

Question 2

What species of Agave can only be used in spirits production?

Answer 2

Blue Agave

Question 3

What veggis is agave related?

Answer 3

Asparagus

Question 4

Why was Agave important?

Answer 4

Source of food and water

Used fibres for cloths and other fabrics and alcohol

Question 5

Home to tequila

Answer 5

Amititan and Jalisco, MX

Question 6

Where must tequila be made

Answer 6

it must be made in the Mexican state of Jalisco and specific cities in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.

Question 7

How many agave species and how many used for spirits?

Answer 7

250 total

40 used for ABV

Question 8

Climate for agave

Answer 8

1,500-3,000m in sandy soils

17-25° C

Question 9

What are pencas?

Answer 9

The blue spikey leaves on Agave up to 2 m

Question 10

How long does Agave age?

Answer 10

up to 30 years

Question 11

What is Quiote

Answer 11

It is when agave ages -the tall vertical stalks growing up to 15m high
Flowers emerge from these

Question 12

How often do agave plants flower?

Answer 12

Once in a lifetime

Question 13

How are agave commercially grown?

Answer 13

Usually through cloning

Planted 2m apart and 3m between rows

Question 14

What is a piña

Answer 14

The heart of Agave

Question 15

What are the sugar levels of Agave in the piña?

Answer 15

24° Brix

Question 16

What are Fructans?

Answer 16

Inulin which are polysaccharide fructose molecules

Question 17

How many kgs of piña to make 1 L of tequila

Answer 17

6-8 kg

Question 18

Average harvest age of Agave

Answer 18

8-10 years

Question 19

Jimador / Coa / Pencas

Answer 19

Jimador - Labor that harvest agave
Coa - spade used to cut..
Pencas - the long spines

Question 20

How long is replanted after harvest for Agave?

Answer 20

at least 1 year

Question 21

What is unique about mezcal?

Answer 21

Made from dozens of Agave species

Question 22

Espadin (Agave Augustafolia)

Answer 22

Mose widely used in mezcal
Similar to Blue Agave
Maturity in 9 years

Question 23

Tepextate (Agave marmorata)

Answer 23

Agave used in mezal
Harvested wild
30 year to mature
Grow random spots
Difficult to harvest

Question 24

Madre-Cuishe (Agave karwinskii)

Answer 24

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.