During the 1930s, the land on which I live now here in the Heights used to be ranch land owned by Mr. José Meyers. I know this because back in those days my dad, Antonio "Tony" Ramirez, and his good friend Pablo "Pole" Meyers, son of Mr. José Meyers, would come out to the ranch to collect aguamiel from the several acres of magueyes that were cultivated on the property. Mr. Meyers drank the sweet nectar of the agave primarily for health reasons and probably also just because he enjoyed the taste. Today the ranch is gone, as are the fields of magueyes and the aguamiel that those agaves produced.
At this point let me explain a few terms to those of you who may not be from around these parts. A maguey is a species of agave, a member of the lily family, commonly referred to in English as a "century plant." There are about 300 species of agave native to the Americas. About 175 of these species are found in Mexico. The name "century plant" comes from the fact that long ago some people believed that the agave would only bloom after one hundred years. This is actually a misnomer, because most agaves bloom at eight to 12 years of age.
Just before a maguey sends up its tall inflorescence, or bloom stalk, it begins to swell and produce large amounts of sweet, nutrient-rich carbohydrates which it will require to develop the stalk, blooms, and fruit. The birthing of this three to 10-meter high stalk will also be the plant's final farewell, as this tremendous effort will exhaust the plant of all energy reserves and ultimately usher in its death.
The fuel behind this miraculous process is the same sweet nectar called aguamiel, which simply and accurately means "honey-water." Harvesting this precious liquid is very labor-intensive and tedious, requiring the commitment of one who must tend a herd of milk goats or cows, seven days a week.
A person with a trained eye must look for a maguey at just the right stage prior to the emergence of the bloom. When a plant is found ready, it is "castrated." In Spanish it is referred to as castrar o capar el maguey. This procedure removes the developing stalk before it emerges. If this is done too early or too late, aguamiel production will be reduced. The center of the mature agave is hollowed out, providing a small reservoir for the aguamiel to accumulate. This small basin is covered up with a piece of agave leaf to keep insects and debris out. Daily the nectar is drawn out and collected from several plants. The freshly collected aguamiel must be consumed in just a few hours or boiled to prevent fermentation into pulque, a weak alcoholic beverage. The aguamiel can also be concentrated by boiling it down into miel de maguey, a honey-like molasses.
In my humble opinion, the best aguamiel comes from wild species of agave grown under harsh drought conditions. A couple of years ago I was traveling in Mexico near Bustamante, Nuevo Leon, with my good friend J. Michael Short. We came across a family that made a living collecting and selling aguamiel from wild maguey sordo agaves (Agave americana var. expansa) in the desert. After stopping and sampling some, we purchased several gallons of the stuff. Several months later, on another trip during a severe drought, we stopped by to visit with the same family and pick up some more aguamiel. To our dismay we were informed of the low availability of the sweet juice due to the drought. Production was about 10 percent of normal. What we also noticed was that what little was being produced was exceptionally sweeter and richer tasting.
Aside from being a tasty beverage, aguamiel is also quite nutritious. It is rich in carbohydrates, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. It is also a good source of B vitamins, vitamins E, C, D, zinc, selenium, and chromium. Medicinally, it is used as a blood purifier, to improve digestion, and as an anti-inflammatory against arthritis.
Like yuccas, the leaves and root of the maguey contain various saponins which are the phytosteroidal compounds responsible for most of the anti-inflammatory and healing properties attributed to it. Traditionally, this plant has been and is still used to treat digestive disorders, gastritis, ulcers of the stomach and intestine, dysentery, constipation, urinary tract infection, kidney stones, diabetes, disorders of the skin, cough, pulmonary disorders, heart discomfort, eye inflammation, and poor circulation. It is also used as an antiseptic. Usually, a tea is made from the fresh or dried parts and taken according to the illness or condition. Otherwise, it is applied in various forms externally to treat a specific condition.
You can grow a maguey in your yard quite easily. All you have to do is find someone with a large plant and there will be little ones growing around the "mamá." Then just carefully pull one up and transplant it wherever you want it to grow. Plant it in a safe spot where someone will not accidentally come in contact with its sharp barbs, especially as it gets larger, taking over an area with lots of "babies" of its own. If you can remember, try to water it once in a while. Once it is established, you do not have to water it at all!