Why do some tequilas have a worm inside? Is this real or is it just a “legend”? The truth is that the popular belief is to think that quality tequila has a worm at the bottom of the bottle. Something that is not entirely false, but that we want to explain in more detail so that you understand the reason for this “tradition”.
Why do some tequilas have a worm inside?
Many are the people who are convinced that many tequilas, especially those that claim to have better quality, have a worm inside, but the truth is that it is not. In fact, worms are only found in some bottles of mezcal, a type of alcohol distilled from the agave plant. Technically, tequila is a type of mezcal, and that’s where the belief comes from.
Mezcal and tequila
Mezcal is a type of alcohol distilled from the fermented juice of agave or maguey plants. Tequila is a variety of mezcal, distilled from the blue agave plant (Agave Tequiliana Weber), which gives it its unique flavor.
Legally, tequila can only be made in the state of Jalisco , a central-western region of Mexico . Mezcal, on the other hand, can be produced throughout Mexico. Mezcal has a distinctive smoky flavor that comes from cooking maguey plants in charcoal ovens, while tequila has a strong, sweet flavor that comes from the addition of sugar cane.
History of the worm
The worm was added to mezcal in 1950 by a Mexico City businessman named Jacobo Lozano Páez.
As worms occasionally entered batches of mezcal, living on agave plants, this marketing gimmick was born: deliberately including a worm in the bottles and spreading the myth of the worm with “magical properties.” Today, the worm in the mezcal bottle is an established tradition, but we don’t find it in tequila bottles simply.
Information about the worm in mezcal
However, you have to know that the worm used for the mezcal bottles is not actually a worm, but rather the larval form of a moth, which burrows and eats the agave plant. There are two families of mezcal “worms”: the red worm found in the heart of the agave plant and the golden worm found in the leaves of the agave plant. The red larva is considered more valuable because it comes from the heart of the plant.
Myths and traditions
There is a popular belief that the “mezcal worm” has special properties that can also be transmitted to those who eat it, although the truth is that all this is nothing more than a marketing maneuver. It is believed to have aphrodisiac properties, causing those who consume it to perform sexual feats. They are also believed to give strength and have hallucinogenic properties.
Neither of these powers has ever been tested, although it appears that the worm inside the mezcal bottle can be eaten without a problem. In any case, it may be best to drink the drink and just leave the worm at the bottom of the bottle.
