Native "Elixirs" of Mexico

On the peninsula of Mexico, like most places, you will find the popular elixir of tequila and its cousin mezcal. Both spirits are distilled from the agave plant, but the difference is that tequila has to come from the blue agave plant grown in the central state of Jalisco and is protected with a Designation of Origin (DO) by the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (the Tequila Regulate Council). Specifically the mezcal is made from the heart, called the piña, of the maguey plant which is in the same family as the agave plant. It is thought that the maguey plant was one of the most sacred plants of pre-Hispanic Mexico. The creation myth of mezcal states that a lightning bolt struck the plant, opening and cooking it, therefor releasing the the plant's juices. Because it was created by an "act of the gods," the liquid is called the “elixir of the gods."

Cerveza (beer) is also widely available and although you can find all national brands such as Corona and Dos Equis, two local beers stand out: the lager Montejo and the dark León Negra because of their bold flavors. The practice of a beer served with a wedge of lime in the mouth of the bottle is not as common in Mexico as it is in foreign bars and you will find that establishments that serve lime with your beer would most likely offer it on a small plate. 

Balché is a Maya spirit that was offered to the gods during special ceremonies. It is fermented inside the hollow trunk of the balché tree with water and honey. In Valladolid (colonial town near Chichen Itza), during indigenous weddings, the bride is sprayed with balché as a sign of abundance. (You can follow the link to read the legend of the balché drink.)
Balché is not commercially available, but another Maya spirit, Xtabentún is easy to find in the region. Xtabentún is an anise-flavored liqueur that when authentic is made by fermenting honey produced by honey bees that their nectar came from the nectar of the xtabetún flower. Rum is also added to the mixture of honey and anise to enhance the flavor even more. It is possible that xtabentún may have its origin in balché, but due to the strong flavor that didn't appeal to the Spanish conquistadores, they introduced anise and took away the tree bark and corn. It is usually served straight, cold, or with ice and honey. It can also be served with coffee, creating a drink called "Mayan coffee" or with one shot of tequila and an equal part xtabentún then adding half a lime makes a "Maya margarita." Wikipedia.

*We love sharing with you Mexican inspired recipes and information about local food and drink, but as always we would also like to tell you about 
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Balché ~ A Traditional Mayan Drink

According to legend, balché was created as an act of love between a beautiful Maya girl Sak-Nicté (White Flower) and a brave young warrior. As the story goes, the young couple fled their tribe when a powerful cacique (indigenous chief) also declared his love to Sak-Nicté. After days of wandering in the Maya forest, the lovebirds found a honeycomb. Sak-Nicté and the warrior had a feast with the sweet honey, and decided to save some inside the trunk of a balché tree. That night brought rain and thunder, and the water blended with the honey inside the tree creating a luscious beverage. When the cacique found them, he ordered Sak-Nicté to return to her tribe. The young warrior was devastated and in a desperate attempt to keep her lover at his side, he offered to cook for the cacique a fantastic meal. He accepted and the couple served him a banquet, crowned with the sweet drink they had discovered. The cacique was so impressed with the balché that he let the two lovers go, under the condition that they share with him how to prepare it.

Because this inebriating drink had strong religious significance to the Maya people the Spaniards attempted to ban the drink in hopes of converting them to Christianity however; the Maya people convinced them that it had healing properties. The prohibition was finally removed when the Spaniards were convinced that the Mayan people were dying for the lack of the drink. Today it is still produced and enjoyed by the Yucatec Maya people.  

Did you know that the flower of May was used to fight bone problems, cure scars, asthma, itching and rheumatism?

It was also used in traditional dishes for Hispanic food.

Remember, if you are coming to the Cancun area for vacation please be sure to check out our online grocery store where you can make an order in the comfort of your home and we will gladly deliver it to you! Let We Deliver really deliver! 

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Tequila Lime Shots & Fun Facts About Tequila

What a great idea and these make amazing party favors! Super easy to make and so fun to serve! Don't have enough shot glasses for all your friends? Don't worry this should do the trick!

These are just about as easy as it gets to make. All you need is a bag of limes, salt, and tequila along with a couple items from the kitchen. Begin with cutting the limes in half and use a small spoon to scoop out the inside of the limes. Save the inside of the limes on plate for later use. Using the juice from the lime, moisten the rim of the lime by putting the half upside down on a plate of lime juice then dip the half on a plate of salt. Fill the limes with chilled tequila and serve!

Helpful hints - You can shave off a bit of the bottom of the lime with your knife so that they sit level preventing them from toppling over. Once filled, try not to move them around too much or you will spill the tequila, that would be no bueno. You can use the leftover insidesto put a few drops into the shots or mix fresh lime juice with your favorite soda such as Sprite for chaser.

Here is some interesting information about tequila. - Tequila, made from the blue agave plant, can only be produced in the state of Jalisco, Mexico and surrounding regions dictated by Mexican law. The surrounding states that are also permitted to produce this traditional Mexican drink are Michoacán, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato and Nayarit. The soil in these areas are comprised of rich, blue volcanic soil that is ideal for growing the blue agave plants and over 300 million plants are harvested per year. There are two types of agave plants that are grown and the outcome of the crop depends on the elevation of the land. The blue agave plants that are grown in the lowlands are more herbaceous in flavor and fragrance. The plants that come from the highlands are sweeter in taste and aroma and tend to grow much larger. Mexico has been granted the right to the use of the word “tequila” but has an agreement with the United States that bulk amounts may be shipped to be bottled there. The origins of tequila are thought to come from the Aztec people that called this concoction octli and later became known as pulque, which has been produced and consumed still to this day.  As the brandy of the Spanish conquistadors diminished, they began to distil the agave plants which gave birth to North America’s first indigenous distilled spirits. Though some tequilas are still family owned names, the most popular brands are owned by multinational corporations. As of the last statistics taken in 2009, there are over 100 distilleries making over 900 brands of tequila and more than 2,000 brand names have been registered. Because of this each bottle is required to display a serial number corresponding is birthplace.  According to The Guinness World Records the most expensive bottle of tequila ever sold brought a whopping $225,000 in July of 2006.
Don't end the party while on vacation to make trips to the store! Let us deliver the goods to you! Be sure to check out our online grocery store at We Deliver Cancun. You can also find us on Facebook and Google +  Looking for fun things to do in Cancun? Check out our page of tours at Cancun Best Discounts.