Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part One — Indigenous Use

Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part One — Indigenous Use

What are modular espresso machines & how do they work?

For decades, espresso machine design and technology have been evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of coffee shop owners and baristas. From multi-boiler systems and automation to custom branding, there are now more factors to consider than ever before when it comes to the design of an espresso machine. Many businesses choose to position their […]


Brewing at Home and on the Road with Wilford Lamastus Jr.

We talk to the multi-time Panama Brewers Cup champion about his brewing preferences. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Wilford Lamastus Coffee professionals tend to spend most of their days brewing coffee. It can be an espresso shot pulled for a customer or a cupping to check out a new roaster to choose […]


What are modular espresso machines & how do they work?

For decades, espresso machine design and technology have been evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of coffee shop owners and baristas. From multi-boiler systems and automation to custom branding, there are now more factors to consider than ever before when it comes to the design of an espresso machine. Many businesses choose to position their […]


Book Review: From Nerd to Pro, by Patrik Rolf

From Nerd to Pro: A Coffee Journey is an autobiography by roaster, café operator, and coffee competitor Patrik Rolf sharing his coffee journey. BY TANYA NANETTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Tanya Nanetti I’ve read plenty of books on coffee over the years: manuals on how to brew great coffee at home, books on […]

Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part One — Indigenous Use

A Recap of The Barista League’s Mystery Coffee Vacation in Colombia

The Barista League’s Mystery Coffee Vacation in Colombia is over, and we’ve got the scoop on all the fun! BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Vasileia Fanarioti and Juan Henao During the last week of February, the 2022 Barista League champions gathered in Colombia for this year’s Mystery Coffee Vacation. It was an […]


Weekly Coffee News: EUDR and Africa + More Celebrity Coffee

Welcome to DCN’s Weekly Coffee News. Keep up with all the latest coffee industry stories and career opportunities by subscribing to DCN’s newsletter. Tell our editors about your news here. Report: Small-Scale Farmers in…


Thread Coffee Roasters Opens Tailor-Made Roastery in Baltimore

The interwoven actions of Thread Coffee Roasters in Baltimore are finding exponentially more space this week with the grand opening of a brand-new production roastery and training lab. The worker-owned…


The Potential of Augmented Reality Technology for the Coffee Industry

Join us as we explore the applications and trends of “augmented reality“ in the world of coffee. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo courtesy of Pixabay In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, augmented reality (AR) has emerged as a transformative force, blurring the lines between the digital and physical worlds. As we step into […]

Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part One — Indigenous Use

Serving Coffee in the Epicenter

The Turkish specialty-coffee community is coming together to support earthquake relief. BY MICHAEL BUTTERWORTHSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE When Niji Coffee went live on Instagram, it felt as though the entire Turkish specialty-coffee community was watching with bated breath. Niji Coffee made a name for itself in the Turkish specialty-coffee scene when, as a relatively […]


In Tbilisi, Parsek1 Merges Comic Books with Specialty Coffee

We take a look at how this innovative café has changed the face of comics and coffee in the capital of Georgia. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Parsek1 When it comes to coffee and comic books, Japan is a longtime leader in the field. Manga cafés have been around for decades, combining […]


Don’t Skip the Budding Specialty-Café Culture in Quito, Ecuador

Introducing the specialty cafés of Quito, a city worth exploring on your coffee quest. BY JORDAN BUCHANANSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE Featured photo courtesy of Stratto When traveling across South America, Ecuador can be forgotten between the high profiles of Colombia and Peru. Similarly, coffee from Ecuador may be overlooked due to its giant neighbors, including […]


Joven and Atucún Join Forces to Empower Young Farmers

The two brands have collaborated to create a unique coffee bar and support young farmers in the coffee and cacao industries. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE…

Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part One — Indigenous Use

Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part One — Indigenous Use

minimum dose size?

Jan 31, 2024 |

I use the Hario switch to brew my coffee and am trying to reduce my caffeine consumption. Hence I would like to brew smaller cups of coffee. I am currently using 10g of coffee with 160g of water. (1:16 Ratio) I am wondering if there is a minimum amount of coffee...

Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part One — Indigenous Use

Known today primarily as a sweetener, agave can be traced back thousands of years.

BY EMILY JOY MENESES
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Recently, we launched our brand new article series “Know Your Sweeteners,” where we’re discussing a variety of sweeteners and syrups, and analyzing the unique characteristics of each one. Today, we’re centering our discussion around agave, uncovering where the plant comes from, its cultural significance and traditional use, and its role in the coffee world today.

Blue agave growing in Jalisco, Mexico. Photo by Stephan Hinni via Unsplash.

Origins and Indigenous Use

The agave plant is native to the Americas and the Caribbean. Though today it’s commonly known as a sweetener and the source of tequila, its medicinal and culinary usage can be traced back thousands of years—long before colonization.

Historians reveal that indigenous peoples like the Aztecs used agave fibers to create clothing, footwear, paper, and building materials. They often incorporated fermented agave sap—an alcoholic beverage called pulque—into religious ceremonies. They considered the drink to be a gift from the gods. It was associated with deities like Mayahuel, the goddess of fertility, and Tlaloc, the god of rain. The Aztecs offered pulque to the gods during religious ceremonies as they prayed for the health and well-being of their crops. Spiritual leaders would consume the beverage to better communicate with the divine. These practices would continue for hundreds of years, until the arrival of the Spanish began to change how the region made use of the agave plant.

In the 1500s, Spanish colonizers discovered the agave plant in the Americas. Looking for a substitute to the brandy that they were running short of at the time, they jumped at the opportunity to distill the blue agave plant into tequila. In the early 1600s, the first tequila distillery would open in modern-day Jalisco, Mexico. Tequila became a major part of the region’s economy over the next few hundred years.

A farmer harvesting an agave plant. Photo by Los Muertos Crew.

Agave as a Sweetener

In recent years, agave nectar has become a popular alternative to sugar, with health enthusiasts preferring it because of its low glycemic index. While there’s still much debate on whether or not agave is “healthier” than sugar, many consumers and café owners continue to seek it out simply for its flavor profile.

Different types of agave syrup offer different tastes—for example, the light syrup is more mild, while amber syrup and dark syrup present more distinct, warm caramel flavors. Compared to honey, agave is thinner in consistency, making it easier to dissolve in cold beverages liked iced tea or coffee.

An iced blue agave latte at Henderson, Nev.’s The Coffee Press. Photo courtesy of Melissa Ramos.

Looking to the Future

As agave continues to gain popularity in the coffee world, discussions on its environmental impact are also coming to the surface—something that we’ll discuss in a second installment of this article, where we’ll take a closer look into the sustainability of the ingredient.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Joy Meneses (she/they) is a writer and musician based in Los Angeles. Her hobbies include foraging, cortados, vintage synths, and connecting with her Filipino roots through music, art, food, and beverage.

Subscribe and More!

December 2023 + January 2024 Issue cover

Out now: It’s the December 2023 + January 2024 issue! Read it for free with our digital edition. And for more than three years’ worth of issues, visit our digital edition archives here.

You can order a hard copy of the magazine through our online store here, or start a subscription for one year or two.

The post Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part One — Indigenous Use appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

Shopping cart0
There are no products in the cart!
Continue shopping
0