Origins of Mezcal

Page 1

The origins of tequila, it is not w hat you think! Patricia Colunga-GarcíaMarín Daniel Zizumbo-Villarreal

Center of Scientific Research of Yucatan Ofelia Vargas-Ponce Guadalajara

former PhD student at CICY. Currently at University of

Fernando González-Zozaya et al History (INAH)

National Institute of Anthropology and


The origins of tequila Cultural

Agro-biological

Agave tequilana Weber var blue


Current genetic diversity

Agave tequilana Weber var blue

Future ecological and cultural sustainability of Agave spirits production


M ex ico: center of agricultural origin and dom estication of Agaves

Vavilov´s 1940 Centres of origin of domesticated plants. In: Smith, B.D. 1995. The emergence of agriculture. Scientific American Library. New York p: 231

“Here the great genetic diversity in a genus rich in use potential cam e in the hands of several peoples w ho developed the m ain agricultural center of the Am ericas� Gentry 1982


Agavaceae

Agave

Mexico: 75% (150 out of 200 spp ) 69% endemic (104 out of 150) (GarcĂ­a-Mendoza 2010)

Modified from GarcĂ­a-Mendoza

1995


Rosette perennials Sexual reproduction

Vegetative propagation: - Bulbils - Shoot roots

After 8-20 years


Mature rosette.

Longitudinal section

Stem

Leaf bases

Thick, abbreviated shoot

Spirally, imbricated


Inflorescence peduncle

“Head” or “Pineapple” Stem + leaf bases

Cutted leaves


Agave heads being pit-cooked

Stem Leaf bases

Cooked agave head


Nowadays almost all the species present in Mexico are traditionally used Fiber

Human food

Fermented beverages

Distilled beverages


Other important traditional uses: medicine, building, fuel, fences, and utensils

Morphological structures used Colunga-GM et al 1996


When did the human-agave symbiosis began 11,000 years in Mesoamerica?

Guilรก Naquitz Caves, Tlacolula Valley. Oax aca. M ex ico


Origins of tequila Agaves for food


Agaves for food “M ezcals” M ezcal = bak ed agave From the Nahuatl: “metl” = agave and “ixcalli” = cooked or baked

Agave heads being pit-cooked

Cooked agave head


Great M ezcal Cutural Region Agaves used for food probably were:

Modified from Bruman, H. 1940. Aboriginal Drink Areas of New Spain. Ph.D. Dissertation. University of California, Berkeley.

The most widespread element in the native diet, before the development of agriculture.

The universal understory upon which the later cultivated food resources were superimposed.

Basic to all regions except the tropical lowlands.


Agave bak ing for ferm ented beverages “M ezcal w ine�

Crushing of baked heads Fermentation of juices


Agave bak ing for ferm ented beverages “M ezcal w ine” Cultural Region

Northern lim its of m ezcal baking

 Did not ex tend as far

north as m ezcal baking for food  I t w as w ide spread at

the tim e of the Spanish Conquest

Brum an , H. 2000. Alcohol in ancient M exico. The University of Utah P ress


The “M ezcal–Jocote” cultural area  Whithin the “Mezcal wine”

area Bruman (1940) described five sub-cultural areas, well defined in terms of native alcoholic beverages  In one of these, now West-Central Mexico, the alcoholic beverages were m ainly from agaves and hug plum (Spondias purpurea L.)

Brum an , H. 2000. Alcohol in ancient M exico. The University of Utah P ress


The “M ezcal–Jocote” cultural area

Tequila Valley

Brum an , H. 2000. Alcohol in ancient M exico. The University of Utah P ress


W ho W hen W here How

Did the distillation of agave began in W est-Central M ex ico?


Distilled beverages 

Distillation of the alcohol contained in a ferm ent is not a natural process



I t has not been invented by all hum an cultures


Agave spirits 

The invention of agave spirits in pre-contact M esoam erica rem ains controversial due to the lack of definitive evidences



I ts developm ent during the Spanish Colonial tim es has also been debated


Bruman (1940, 1944)

Tequila companies. Muriá (2003),

Valenzuela-Zapata y Nabhan (2003)

• Native people

• Spanish colonists

• Traditional use of agaves as food and

• Consumption of grape spirits

• Foothills of the Colima volcanoes

• Tequila Valley

• End of 16th Century

• 17th Century

• Adaptation of the Asian still introduced by

• Use of the Arab still introduced by

fermented beverages

Spaniards to produce sugarcane spirit Filipinos to produce coconut spirit (both coconut and Filipinos brought by Spaniards)

• Difussion N to the

Tequila Valley

Foothills of the Colima volcanoes

Tequila


Colima volcano

M ezcal

Food obtained

Plants = Mezcals


MEZCAL


Appellation of Origin “Tequila”

USA

Territory protected MEXICO

Mexican Official Norm Agave tequilana Weber var. azul (Blue agave)

20º N Lat


Possible biological origin of A. tequilana Weber Gentry (1982) defined that A. tequilana belongs clearly to the A. angustifolia complex, and that the only reason to keep it as a different taxonomic species is its economic importance.

TEQUILA

Agave angustifolia Haw.


Possible biological origin of A. tequilana Weber var blue Based on morphological similarities, he suggested that ithe var blue probably originated from the wild A. angustifolia populations that grow between Cocula and Tecolotlรกn Tequila

Colima Volcanoes


To undestand the cultural and agro-biological origins of Tequila, w e had :  To link the biological observations of Gentry with the Bruman

hypothesis of the cultural origin of the agave spirits in the foothills of the Colima volcanoes,

 To introduce a new hypothesis about the agro-biological origins of

the West-Central Mexico agave landraces selected to produce mezcals in general, not only Tequila

Foothills of the Colima volcanoes

West-Central Mexico


Theory of evolution of cultivated plants. ďƒ˜ Their areas of greater diversity are the best

candidates to be their areas of origin,

Foothills of the Colima volcanoes


HYPOTHESIS: • If the foothills of the Colima Volcanoes was the area where the Asian still was adapted to the elaboration of agave spirits in West-Central Mexico,

• Then, it is in this area where we can find:  The greater diversity of landraces selected with this purpose The agroecosystems where they could have evolved

Modified from Bruman 1940, 2000


Ethnobotanical ex ploration


Richness and m orphological variation Wild populations Cultivated landraces

Used to produce Agave spirits (Mezcals)

Ixtero Amarillo R. C. Nieto Zapotitlan de Vadillo Jal .


Population analysis of the diversity, genetic structure and relationships of the wild and cultivated gene pools

Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSRs)


RESULTS


Ethnobotanical ex ploration Pre-Hispanic technology to bake Agave “heads�

Colima Volcanoes

Fermentation in subterranean pits carved into the bedrock


Same Filipino still used in the 16th century for the production of coconut spirit

Filipino still described by Feliciano (1926) Reproduced by Bruman (1944)




LANDRACE RICHNESS Tequila Valley

5/44

Colima volcanoes

South Jalisco

More traditional landraces used for mezcal production 40/44 landraces


M acario Partida Zapotitlรกn

10 landraces

Juรกrez Brothers Tolim รกn

33 landraces


Agave cultivation in

complex agroecosystems

Maize

In association with cattle and traditional food crops: maize, beans and squash Squash


TRADITIONAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

WILD

LET STAND

ENCOURAGED

I n situ management Vegetative propagation

Let stand seedborn plants

Agave cultivation Seed nursery

in complex agroecosystems


LANDR ACES R I CHNESS Maintenance and enhancement of ancient landraces

Introduction of selected wild germplasm into cultivation

Continuous:

Introduction and improvement of landraces from other towns of the region

Let standing and in situ encouraging of selected wild plants


RI CHNESS OF LAN DRACES Traditionally favored and selected by farmers to provide: 

Diversity of flavors

 Resistance to predators and diseases  Adaptation to multiespecific and multivarietal agroecosystems, including cattle


“Ixtlero verde ” selected also for fiber

“Ixtlero amarillo” selected also as living fence


Farmers are greatly concerned for the expansion of blue agave conducted by the tequila companies, through:  Rent of farmers lands  Pressure on growers to stop cultivating traditional varieties, to prevent their mix-up with blue agave  Massive harvest of wild populations during blue agave scarcity times


Tequila (blue agave) landscape


Consequences:  Soil erosion

 Displacement  food crops  traditional landraces  wild populations


Tequila is one of the industries w ith quick er grow th in M ex ico

280 000

1 125 000

Tons of blue agave used by tequila industry Source: Council for the Regulation of Tequila


WILD

Genetic diversity

LET STAND

TRADITIONAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

ENCOURAGED

COMMERCIAL SYSTEM LANDRACES

37 populations 69 ISSR’s loci

TEQUILA


Genetic diversity

69 ISSR’s loci

N Population

HE

HB

Wild

25

X SD

87.20 0.32 6.51 0.03

0.35 0.03

2

Let standing/ Encouraged Enhanced

19

X 87.04 0.32 SD 2.00 0.01

0.35 0.04

1 Tequila

pl

9

2425 Traditional landraces

Wild Let standing/ Landraces Encouraged

n/pop

Tequila

18

22

X SD

66.40 0.26 0.27 16.32 0.06 0.05 20.20

0.08

0.11

94.00 0.32 94.00 0.30

0.34 0.33

Outgroups 1 A. angustifolia Yuc 27 1 A. guadalajarana Jal 26

pl = percentage of polymorphic loci; HE expected heterocygosity (Lynch and Milligan, 1994); HB Bayesian genetic diversity (Holsinger and Lewis, 2003)


Genetic diversity

69 ISSR’s loci

N Population

HE

HB

Wild

25

X H 87.20 0.32 0.35 E =0.29-0.40 SD 6.51 0.03 0.03

2

Let standing/ Enhanced

19

X 87.04 0.32 SD 2.00 0.01

1 Tequila

pl

9

2425 Traditional landraces

Wild Let standing/ Landraces Encouraged

n/pop

Tequila

18

22

0.35 0.04

12/ H X 66.40 0.26 0.27 E =0.29-0.35 SD 16.32 0.06 0.05

20.20

0.08

0.11

94.00 0.32 94.00 0.30

0.34 0.33

Outgroups 1 A. angustifolia Yuc 27 1 A. guadalajarana Jal 26

pl = percentage of polymorphic loci; HE expected heterocygosity (Lynch and Milligan, 1994); HB Bayesian genetic diversity (Holsinger and Lewis, 2003)


Genetic diversity

69 ISSR’s loci

N Population

Wild Let standing Landraces Encouraged

Tequila

n/pop

pl

HE

HB

9

Wild

25

X SD

87.20 0.32 6.51 0.03

0.35 0.03

2

Let standing/ Enhanced

19

X 87.04 0.32 SD 2.00 0.01

0.35 0.04

25 Traditional landraces

18

1

22

Tequila

X SD

66.40 0.26 0.27 16.32 0.06 0.05 20.20

0.08

0.11

94.00 0.32 94.00 0.30

0.34 0.33

Outgroups 1 A. angustifolia Yuc 27 1 A. guadalajarana Jal 26

pl = percentage of polymorphic loci; HE expected heterocygosity (Lynch and Milligan, 1994); HB Bayesian genetic diversity (Holsinger and Lewis, 2003)


Genetic diversity

Traditional management 11 pop Zapotitlรกn 9 pop Tolimรกn

Zapotitlรกn

Tolimรกn

Parcel

Tequila

Commercial tequila management


Genetic structure

Gene pools managed by traditional farmers

Intensity of Management

θB

Population Gene pool

Np /Ni

FST (θ)

IC 95%

Wild

9/232

0.179

(0.147, 0.215) 0.19

(0.155, 0.222)

Let stand / Enhanced

2/39

0.333

(0.258, 0.408) 0.27

(0.213, 0.349)

Landraces

24/442

0.360

(0.332, 0.388) 0.33

(0.314, 0.350)

IC 95%

Np, number of populations; Ni, total number of individuals; FST (θ) coefficient of differentiation (Weir and Cookerman, 1984), θB, Bayesian estimation of FST (Holsinger and Lewis, 2003); IC 95%


A. angustifolia Ameca Most of the gene pools belong to the A. angustifolia Haw complex

A. rhodacantha Trel 1 wild population 2 landraces

Ameca Tequila

AT AT

Gentry 1982

A. angustifolia

Tecolotlรกn surroundings

Tequila Valley


Did agave spirits were invented in West-Central Mexico before the Spanish conquest? Pre-Hispanic technology to bake Agave “heads�

Fermentation in subterranean pits carved into the bedrock

Distillation in the Filipino-style still


ďƒ˜ If the native people of the foothills of the Colima volcanoes, so early

adapted the Asian still to elaborate mezcals, on the basis of their traditional use of agaves as food and fermeted beverages, ďƒź Then

this adaptation could also be based on a

preceding k now ledge of distillation techniques


The key is to find the pre-Hispanic still The other elements needed to produce mezcals certainly existed before the Spanish conquest


Capacha vessels (1500-1000 BCE). National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico.

We tested the hypothesis of

Found and characterized by Kelly (1974, 1980)

Needham et al. (1985) a team of Chinese culture researchers.

The gourd and the trifid vessels, which characterize the Capacha culture of the Early Formative period (15001000 BCE) of West-Central Mexico could have been used to produce spirits.

Tequila Valley

Colima

Beekman, Ch. S. 2009. Recent Research in Western Mexican Archaeology. J Archaeol Res


Sim ilarity w ith the pottery steam er (1600-1046 BCE) that they postulated as predecessor of the M ongol and Chinese stills .

Tseng (steamer)

Li (boiler)

Capacha vessels (1500-1000 BCE). National Museum of Anthropology ,Mexico. Kelly (1974, 1980)

Hypothetical most ancient Mongolian and Chinese type still

Mongolian type still with the catch bowl held centrally in a variaty of ways

Chinese type still with catch bowl, side-tube and receiver


Experiments to test the hypothesis of Needham et al (1985) for the agave ferments

Capacha vessels (1500-1000 BCE).

National Museum of Anthropology Mexico.

Museum of Colima Regional History

Techniques and m aterials available in the region in 1500-1000 BCE


•“Bean pot” used as a cooking technical

reference.

• Beans pots have been used since the Capacha times to the present • Beans were domesticated in West-Central Mexico

Beans are cook with plenty of water. The pot is sealed with a bowl where fresh water is heated and use as needed.


The “bean pot� can be considered a proto-still Water colder than inside Water evaporation

Condensation can easily be observed and tasted

Vapor condensation

The key is to have a catch bowl to collect the condensed alcohol

Catch bowl


Based on the “bean pot� , the trifid stills could be designed

Their arrangement of two superimposed pots, joined by tubes, allows a recipient to be placed in the upper one


Trifid Capacha vessel (1500-1000 BCE) Regional Museum of Guadalajara, Mexico

Catch bowl?


Assembly of the Trifid Capacha-type still Agave ferment Gourd (Lagenaria siceraria L.) condenser and recipient

Ceramic condenser and recipient


The “Gourd Capacha -type still�

A simplified version of the trifid still would be a single tube connecting the two pots, although this would require to hang the receptacle


Assembly of the Gourd Capacha-type still Agave ferment Ceramic condenser and recipient

Gourd (Lagenaria siceraria L.) condenser and recipient


Possible evolution of the “Capacha-type M esoam erican still” (1500-1200 BCE) BEAN POT Archaeological Museum of Mascota Jalisco.

TRIFID VESSEL Regional Museum of Guadalajara Jalisco

GOURD VESSEL Caxitlán Archaeological Museum Colima


Experiments to test the hypothesis of Needham et al (1985) for the agave ferments  The

assembled stills successfully produced ethanolcontaining distillates

 The mean size of the vessels

found in the museums, their funerary contexts, and the ethanol yield obtained in the experiments, suggest that:

 If

used as stills, they were used to produce a prestige good for ceremonies highly culturally and socially relevant

Average distillate yield (20 replicates) = 49.5 mL/L Average ethanol concentration = 160.3 g/L Average ef!ciency = 7.8 g ethanol/liter ferment/2 h


More important findings and implications for the future sustainability of Tequila and mezcal production systems ďƒź Tequila,

and all mezcals from West-Central

Mexico, culturally originated as components of the Mesoamerican food culture


ďƒźFrom the agro-biological point of view, they evolved as elements of the Mesoamerican agricultural systems WILD

LET STAND

ENCOURAGED

In situ management Vegetative propagation

Let stand seed-born plants

Agave cultivation in Seed nursery

complex agroecosystems


 At present, the most ancient procedures to

elaborate mezcals are:

Pre-Hispanic technology to bake Agave “heads”

Fermentation in subterranean pits carved into the bedrock

Filipino still introduced by the Asians brought into West-Central Mexico by Spaniards in the late 16th century


ďƒź Distillation

techniques could be known since pre-Hispanic times by native people, as there exist ceramic vessels that could be used as stills


 These stills could have evolved from cook ing instrum ents

lik e the bean pots that belong to the M esoam erican food culture BEAN POT Archaeological Museum of Mascota Jalisco.

TRIFID VESSEL Regional Museum of Guadalajara Jalisco

GOURD VESSEL Caxitlán Archaeological Museum Colima


ďƒźThe foothills of the Colim a volcanoes is the area w ith greater A. angustifolia landrace diversity selected for the elaboration of

agave spirits (m ezcals) in W est-Central M ex ico (38/ 44)

Colima volcanoes

Modified from Bruman 1940, 2000


People from this area left plenty of evidences of the pre-Hispanic

importance of agave as food and probably as alcoholic beverages. Funerary offering with mezcal plants

“Shaft and chamber tombs” Culture. From Preclassic to Classic. From Ortices phase 500 BCE-500 ACE to Colima phase. 400-600 ACE

Baked agave head

Agave angustifolia Haw

Los Angeles County Museum, USA

Metropolitan Museum NY, USA

Zizumbo-Villarreal et al 2009


Funerary offerings M ezcal fleshy baked leaf bases and a ferm ented?/ alcoholic? beverage “Tumbas de Tiro� Culture. Classic. Comala phase 200-400 ACE.

Museum Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo.

Baked agave head

University of Colima. Comala, Mexico

Los Angeles County Museum, USA

Metropolitan Museum NY, USA


Funerary offerings M en carrying harvested agave heads with head bands (mecapales) made with agave fiber “Tumbas de Tiro� Culture. Classic. Comala phase 200-400 ACE.

Private Collection photo from Butterwick, K. 2000, p 106

Museum of the West Cultures Colima, Mexico


Funerary offerings Couples drinking alcoholic beverages? “Tumbas de Tiro� Culture. Classic. Comala phase 200-400 ACE

Private Collection, photo from Towsend, R. 2000 p 133


Archaeological circular subterranean stone structures

Archaeological structures were probably used to bake agaves

  25 structures in residential and ceremonial contexts from the Classic and Post-classic periods (200-1500 CE)

 38 stone ovens currently used to cook agaves for spirits

Archaeological structures Residential single family (6)

Residential, multifamily (6)

Ceremonial (13)

Ovens in use Single family (23)

Group (8)

Semi-industrial (7)

Zizumbo-Villarreal et al 2009


That the elaboration of agave spirits in the foothills of the Colima volcanoes, is predicated on a pre-Hispanic agri-food tradition that began thousands of years ago, is very important

ďƒ˜ It implies that the diversity of

landraces used today to elaborate agave spirits, is the result of thousands of years of native people selection


Traditional management

+ Human selection Diversity of flavors and agrobiological characters

High genetic diversity Landraces and farmers plots

Wild

Let standing Landraces Tequila Encouraged

 In great contrast with the low diversity of

the tequila commercial system focused in just one clone, the blue agave

Zapotitlán Tolimán Tequila

Parcel


CONCLUSIONS

The high diversity of traditional mezcal

landraces in the foothills of Colima, is endangered by the expansion of the “blue agave” clone cultivation  Displacing : wild populations traditional food crops  Causing soil erosion


 The cultural and biological diversity of

mezcals needs to be protected ALTERNATIVES

ďƒźTo support and stimulate the

persistent interest of traditional farmers in conserving their landraces, agro-ecosystems and food culture

ďƒźSupporting the whole traditional

system, including the in situ management of wild populations, as it has proved to be essential to preserve high diversity


ALTERNATIVES

ďƒźThis encouragement should include legal protection of

its germplasm and products , in order to benefit the farmers and their communities

• At present, it is paradoxical that mezcal producers of

Jalisco are excluded from the Appelations of Origin Tequila and Mezcal.


 The Appelation of Origin Mezcal only recognizes 6 species in 7 states

used to produce Mezcal  We have recorded 39 species in 26 states (out of 32)

 They receive 260 different common names that could represent different varieties or landraces. (Colunga et al. 2007)


Fortunately, there is an increasingly important movement of traditional producers of mezcals that needs to be supported. The richness of flavors of all these mezcals is waiting for you!

A. cupreata


ยกGR ACI AS !

Center of Scientific Research of Yucatan



Coconut and Filipinos


1569. Coconut seeds w ere introduced for the first tim e to the M ex ican Pacific coast by Spaniards

Colima Philippines

1569 Salomon Islands


1571. Began to traffic of “Chinese indians� from the Philipines to Colim a and Acapulco to w ork in the cacao and coconut groves.

1571 Colima Philippines


 By 1600, I N ONLY 30 YEARS, coconut cultivation and

the liquor elaborated from the distillation of the inflorescence sap, becam e the m ost im portant activity of the Bishopric of Colim a

Cutting of coconut inflorescence to colect the sap

Bishopric of Colima

Collection of the sap


1603. “Coconut wine” was prohibited due to its competition with the liquors imported from Spain

Punishment of violations included destruction of coconut plantations, tools, fines, and jail. 


Colima Volcanoes

Mezcal-jocote fermented beverages cultural area

 Some “Chinese-indians”

 Evading the colonial laws,

thanks to isolation and the migrated upriver, to the ease to disassemble and hide foothills of the Colima the still volcanoes, with their stills and coconuts Spreading the technique


“The introduction of the process of distilation was so early, the product of the stills, once seen, so easily fashioned from native materials, that mezcal “wine” (the fermented beverage) soon came to be looked upon almost everywhere as merely an intermediate stage for obtaining mezcal liquor (the distilled drink)”. Bruman (1940: 18-19)


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