EL PULQUE
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| Mexican Codex " El Pulque" |
El Pulque es una bebida alcohólica netamente
mexicana, como lo son también el tequila, el mezcal, el sotol y otras. El
pulque se obtiene del maguey que es un cactus que crece casi en todas las
regiones de México, pero principalmente en los LLanos de Apan en el Estado de
Hidalgo, donde se le concoce como maguey agavero. Su origen o descubrimiento a
ciencia cierta se ignora, aunque se atribuye a Papantzin que era un noble que
vivió durante el reinado del rey tolteca Tecpancaltzin quien descubrió la forma
de extraer el aguamiel del maguey, denominándose a los operarios que llevaban a
cabo tal extracción : Tlachiqueros, que en la lengua Náhuatl se escribe
tlachichinani o tlachichinqui y significa
el que chupa una cosa.
El pulque o también conocido como Neutle, es
el resultado de la fermentación del aguamiel antes de que aflore en la planta
el quiote, es decir, el pedúnculo de la inflorescencia del mismo maguey, pues
es raspado al quitar el centro del cactus quedando una cavidad que se tapa con
una hoja del maguey o una penca. Hecho eso, se raspa con el tlachique, una
especie de cuchara, lo que obliga al maguey a soltar un jugo que queda alojado
en su centro y así, esta operaqción se repite a intervalos de uno o dos días,
colectándose después en un recipiente llamado odre.
En el México Prehispánico el pulque era una
bebida que tomaban los sacerdotes en las ceremonias religiosas. Los mexicas le
llamaban iztac octli o "licor
blanco "
De acuerdo con el Diccionario de la Lengua
Náhuatl o Mexica, Octli significa: Pulque, Vino, Licor Fermentado del Maguey
que da una bebida eminentemente diurética e Iztac Octli significa vino blanco.
Actualmente no hay aún denominación una de
origen del pulque, no obstante lo increible que parezca. Sin embargo, deben las
autoridades promover su obtención ya que
se trata de una bebida netamente mexicana que nace con el México Prehispánico y
que la conquista de México no pudo extinguir, como lo hicieron muchos de sus
protagonistas con otros valores culturales propios de los antiguos mexicanos.
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| Tlachiquero. Claudio Linati, lithography from Book " Costumes Civiles, Militaires et Religieux du Mexique" edited en Brussels, Belgium 1828. |
Mexican Pulquería
ENGLISH TEXT
Pulque is a distinctly Mexican alcoholic beverage, as are tequila, mezcal, the Sotol and others. The pulque is derived from the maguey, a cactus that grows in almost all regions of Mexico , but mainly in the Llanos de Apan in the state of Hidalgo, where is known as maguey agave . It’s origin or discovery is unknown for sure, but is attributed to Papantzin a nobleman who lived during the reign of King Toltec Tecpancaltzin who discovered how to extract the maguey mead, denominating to operators carrying out such removal: tlachiqueros, which in Nahuatl is written as tlachichinani or tlachichinqui and that means a one who suck things.
ENGLISH TEXT
THE PULQUE
Pulque is a distinctly Mexican alcoholic beverage, as are tequila, mezcal, the Sotol and others. The pulque is derived from the maguey, a cactus that grows in almost all regions of Mexico , but mainly in the Llanos de Apan in the state of Hidalgo, where is known as maguey agave . It’s origin or discovery is unknown for sure, but is attributed to Papantzin a nobleman who lived during the reign of King Toltec Tecpancaltzin who discovered how to extract the maguey mead, denominating to operators carrying out such removal: tlachiqueros, which in Nahuatl is written as tlachichinani or tlachichinqui and that means a one who suck things.
The pulque or
also known as Neutle , is the result of fermentation of mead before it emerges
in the plant quiote , ie , the stalk of the inflorescence of the same maguey,
it is scraped to remove the center of the cactus leaving a cavity that is
covered with a maguey leaf or stalk . Done that, is scraped with tlachique, a
kind of spoon, forcing the maguey to release a juice that is housed in the
center and so this operation is repeated at intervals of one or two days and
finally is collected in a container called wineskin.
In Prehispanic
Mexico pulque was a drink taking for priests in religious ceremonies. The
Aztecs called it iztac octli or " white liquor” and Iztac means Octli,
drink, white wine.
According to
the dictionary of the Nahuatl Language or Mexica , Octli means Pulque , Wine,
Liquor Fermented Maguey giving an eminently diuretic beverage.
Currently the
pulque does not have an appellation of origin, however incredible it may seem.
However, the authorities should promote their preparation due to is a
distinctly Mexican drink that comes with the Pre-Hispanic Mexico and the
conquest of Mexico could not extinguish, as did many of it’s protagonists with
other cultural values of the ancient Mexicans .
Pulquería "The Paradise" Caricature from Magie Savage,
Palma & Mendoza, Attorneys at Law, Collaborator.
Article by Ricardo Palma Herrera.
