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What is the blue Agave plant?
Only in Mexico, in the region known as Jalisco, can the plant
from which all tequilas derive their unique taste be found. In fact, by government law, to
be officially designated "Tequila," a minimum of fifty one percent of the
spirits in Tequila must be derived from the exotic, cactus-like blue agave.
More than 100 million of these plants cover the hills of the Sierra Madre region, west of
Guadalajara. The Agave plants are lined up in rows roughly 1,000 to an acre. Each plant
can take up to ten years to reach maturity. As it matures, new seeds are planted to yield
new offspring. The blue agave plants are spiked, with sword like leaves and a green
pineapple-like center called the "piņa" (Spanish for pineapple.) When the
"piņa" is mature it can weigh anywhere from 50 to 150 pounds.
Agave is derived from the Greek word meaning "admirable" or "noble".
The only species of agave is used for Tequila, is the blue agave. Although similar to the
other agave plants, the Blue Agave has blue-hued leaves, not the usual green leaves common
to most agave plants. The Blue Agave may look like a cactus, but it is actually from the
lily family.