Everything about Mezcal Worm totally explained
The
mezcal worms found in some bottles of
mezcal from the Mexican state of
Oaxaca, are one of two types of
insect larvae.
The
gusano rojo, red worm or
chinicuil, is the
caterpillar of the
Hypopta agavis moth. See:
maguey worm.
The other variety of "worm" in mezcal is the
larva of a
weevil known as
picudo del agave,
Scyphophorus acupunctatus, the agave snout weevil, that infest the
yucca plant and certain species of
maguey. They are not related to edible
maguey worms of central
Mexico. The weevil is a pest that can severely damage maguey and
agave plants, although more by infecting the plant with harmful
bacteria than damage done by the weevil or its larvae. In some cases up to 40% of a maguey harvest has been be lost to weevil infestations. Infection-resistant varieties of the plant are being developed.
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Picudo larvae may be roasted and eaten, they're a seasonal specialty of markets in southeastern Mexico.
Although the custom is relatively recent, larvae are used frequently by several brands of mezcal to give flavor to the drink. A whole larva is deposited in the bottle, normally after having previously been cured in pure alcohol. It isn't known exactly where and when the practice was originated; supposedly it was Jacobo Lozano Páez, the
embotellador of Matatlán
mezcal, who first introduced the practice of adding larva to mezcal.
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