Early culinary uses for Agave by Brady Bunte

What were some of the early culinary uses for agave? Here are some amazing details on the culinary uses for agave by Brady Bunte. Read to learn more on this amazing plant.

A brief primer on agave

Agave, also called century plant is native to Mexico. It constitutes a family of many species out of which only 2 are used for culinary purposes. The pair is popularly referred to as the maquey.

What about agave and culinary uses?

The culinary uses for agave dates back to the early times of emoticon recipes to the present times of modern twists of freshly squeezed agave nectar. In this article, Brady Bunte specifically discloses details on early culinary uses for agave.

There were 2 main species of agave that were used in the traditional times. These include the: Agave Americana & Agave desert. The leaves were predominantly used for food. They were baked, boiled or just roasted. Among the other products that were processed from agave were:

1. Agave Vinegar
2. Agave Syrup
3. Agave wine

According to Brady Bunte, the above mentioned were some of the most profound uses of agave. Some of the communities that are on record to used agave for culinary purposes were:

• The Aztecs
• The American Indians
• The Yavapai 
• Tonto Apache

Among these communities, the Yavapai people regarded agave highly. It was to them a food with a spiritual meaning and identity. The Toronto Apache people, just like the Yavapai, accompanied the preparation of agave food with prayers, songs and thanks giving.

Brady Bunte has provided you a detailed coverage on some of the culinary uses for agave among the Aztecs and the American Indians.

The Aztecs

The Aztecs are Spanish speakers who settled in the Americas in the early 17^th century. They used agave in the making an alcoholic beverage called the Pulque. The Pulque was a special beverage that was reserved for ceremonies and bouquets. Added to this, the Aztecs made their versions of the present day tequila, wine and vinegar all from the agave.

The American Indians

The American Indians are an indigenous group that hailed from the Southwestern part of the present day USA. They are well known for using agave plant for various purposes, culinary inclusive. These natives mainly relied on boiling, roasting or baking as methods of preparing their agave food.  According to Brady Bunte, the American Indians used the agave syrup for various medicinal as well as culinary purposes.

This desert plant held a special spot in the culinary history among the ancient human civilizations!