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Writer's pictureDos Cuerpos
Apr 11, 20233 min read

Maguey Salmiana

Updated: Aug 15, 2023

One of the most important missions at Dos Cuerpos is to understand the background of all our products: who makes them, how and why, as well as the historical, social, and artistic aspects that surround them. In this instance, we're sharing some characteristics of the Maguey Salmiana that you probably didn't know.


Maguey Salmiana


Commonly referred to as Agave Pulquero, Agave de Aguamiel, or Maguey Salmiana, it's one of the agave varieties extensively used for mezcal production. This "Gigante Verde" (Green Giant) is also known as "agave manso," "de montaña," or "Maguey mano ancha." Its Mixtec name translates to "Yavi Cui," and in Mixe, it's known as "Exmo' tstaajts."


This species is native to Durango, the high plains of San Luis Potosí, and Coahuila (where wine is now predominant). Nevertheless, it's primarily produced in the states of Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, the State of Mexico, and Puebla. Surprisingly, there are nearly 600,000 hectares of this agave solely in the State of Mexico.


The Maguey Salmiana takes about 12 to 15 years to mature and grows dominant leaves in the shape of an inverted "S." Sometimes, producers wait for the plant to develop a dark green color, which takes about 8 years, before they start extracting aguamiel (honey water). However, for mezcal production, more time is required.


This agave species is used in various ways beyond mezcal consumption. It's valued for its high content of vitamin C, B complex, minerals, amino acids, proteins, and enzymes. It's utilized for land division due to its incredible height (its leaves can reach up to 3 meters), as an ornament, or even clothing. Moreover, one of its distinguishing features is the ability to extract aguamiel, which can be fermented into pulque, the "drink of the gods." If interested, we can share the article about the countless uses of maguey.


This agave has also been historically and culturally significant in different Mexican cultures. For at least twenty-five centuries, the primary product from this agave has been pulque, a vital part of our country's cultural tradition. In ancient times, in most of the towns in today's central Mexico, the fermentation process of aguamiel into pulque was known. It was part of complex rituals in significant celebrations linked to the agricultural and religious cycles. Archaeological records provide images related to the ritual use of pulque in Teotihuacan, Cholula, Tajin, Toltec, Mixtec, Purépecha, Otomi, and Nahuatl-speaking societies, such as the Mexica. Its ancient importance can also be observed through the presence of various representations of this agave in ancient codices, like the Florentine Codex, and through archaeological artifacts (recently found by archaeologist César Lizardi Torres) dating back to the 5th century BC, showing maguey obsidian scrapers in the Otomi region of Huapalcalco in Hidalgo.


This specific agave was associated with the goddess Mayahuel because the spines on its leaves resemble breasts when seen up close. That's why they said that from the hundreds of "breasts" on its leaves, the goddess fed her 400 rabbits. It's a shame that the industrial company that causes so much harm to our lands and culture adopted the name of Mayahuel's offspring.


At Dos Cuerpos, we focus on tastings and the distribution of agave distillates and Mexican wine. Tasting is the reflection on the alcohol to be sampled, and in this regard, these texts aim to foster ongoing reflection. Please let us know if you enjoyed this text, if it helped you in any way, and if you have any discrepancies, please share them.


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