So, what is the significance of the worm in mezcal? It wasn’t until the 1950s that larvae began appearing in mezcal bottles, when a mezcal manufacturer discovered a moth larva in a batch of his whiskey and decided that having the stowaway in his bottle increased the flavor of the booze. As part of his marketing approach, he began including ″worms″ in all of his bottles.
What does it mean to eat the worm with tequila?
Although it is widely accepted that eating the worm after drinking mezcal is a common practice in many areas, it is unclear where the habit started. Some people think that placing a worm in a bottle of mezcal denotes the purity of the alcohol since it prevents the worm from disintegrating.
What is the worm called in tequila?
In Oaxaca, Mexico, a mezcal worm is an insect larva that may be discovered in specific varieties of mezcal manufactured there. The larvae of the Comadia redtenbacheri moth are generally either a gusano rojo (‘red worm’) or a chinicuil (‘maguey worm’), the caterpillars of which are both red in color. The red worm is often believed to be tastier than the white worm.
Why do Mexicans drink tequila with worm?
As soon as the Agave worm was placed into the tequila bottle, a simple rule of thumb said that the whiskey may be consumed if the worm was still writhing when it reached the bottom of the bottle. If the worm perished on the way down, the tequila was declared unsuitable for human consumption and discarded.
Is there really a worm in tequila?
This is not a worm, but rather a larvae of the beetle Scyphophorus acupunctatus or a larvae of the moth Comadia redtenbacheri, both of which belong to the Cossidae family of moths, that has taken up residence in your tequila bottle.
Is the tequila worm alive?
Are Tequila Worms still alive and well? That tiny worm that you found in your tequila bottle isn’t alive at all. If it weren’t for the fact that he was drowning in drink, the tiny worm would have transformed into a gorgeous butterfly (or moth, to be more accurate), as it isn’t really a worm at all. It’s the larvae of a moth, to be precise.
Why do they put a scorpion in tequila?
What’s the deal with the scorpion? When a scorpion stings, it is advised that the stinging region be bathed with tequila, as the anti-toxic characteristics of this liquor can help to alleviate the pain, burning, and tingling associated with the sting.
Does Jose Cuervo have a worm?
Tequila does not contain any harmful microorganisms in its bottle.
What is the difference between tequila and mezcal?
It is customary for tequila to be manufactured by heating the agave plant inside industrial ovens before being distilled two or three times in copper pots. Mezcal, on the other hand, is cooked in earthen pits lined with lava rocks and filled with wood and charcoal before being distilled in clay pots. Mezcal is made from the agave plant.