Short essays on rural Oaxaca mezcal production: Part II: Recicado from the Mixteca Alta
Alvin Starkman MA, LL.B
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It will not win any contests for quality, a spirit. And indeed the region's inhabitants do not even call it Mezcal, but "recicado, a Mixtec Name, they say. But after five hours' drive from the city of Oaxaca, deep in the Mixteca Alta one encounters agave distillation, the prize for giving the true Fan is as authentic as possible an insight into the means of production and materials likely facing the beginning of the Spanish Conquest:  clay pots; carriso (river Reed) hoses, mud and stone still; pulverization by means of a tree root wood and wooden trough in; fermenting an animal skin, and of course traditional baking in an in-ground oven.Â
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Pueblo Viejo is a tiny hamlet an hour's drive from San Juan Mixtepec, along a bad dirt potholes road. The peaceful valley leading to the settlement is known as Azucena Rio, and for good reason … The Sánchez Cisneros family lives, along a river for a condition the production of recicado in this part of the state.
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Nineteen-year-old Hilda Sánchez Cisneros lives with her sister, Natividad Sánchez, live 47, and four of six Natividad children. The two others and work in the countryside ina North Carolina. Fernando, Natividad's man is now gone, does tequio (social service).   its 10-old son, Esteban, and daughter Dà ¡lia, 16, are completely trilingual, because she and her mother spent several years living in the U.S., and accordingly they had the opportunity to school. American public, but here they are, deadlines visit the most humble of livelihoods, production for the sale Friday recicado in the San Juan Mixtepec weekly.
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The family is held is evident by the growing squash, corn and beans. it that meat and poultry not staples in their diet, not unusual for families in rural communities in the state.Â
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The stream is a occasional suppliers who supply the family with small fish at certain times of year. And then there is rabbit, squirrel, opossum, and fox. "I, that city dwellers do not know eat small animals like squirrels and opossum, "Natividad said," but we have up here, if we do, and it is actually quite well. " Esteban pride adds that sometimes you may also have coyotes and wolves, but not more often than in the higher mountains.Â
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Hilda and Natividad learned from their parents and distill grandparents. however, during the first years, the plants used in the production wild varieties of Agave were that the ascent of hillsides. Then a few years ago to Fernando Matatlà ¡n was collected, had recognized the world capital of mezcal, and brought a number of Baby-agave Espadán plants. Espadán remain the only species of the agave, which is successfully cultivated in the state. So now the family can their own agave grow in this fertile valley sparsely populated, part of which is the home ground. A, but the degree of scientific knowledge of family members Procedure and function seems to be missing, or rather basic. Â
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The appearance of the chiots (stalk) is the first sign that the complete Maguey matured. should allow the stems to shoot up and produce baby plants are the primary means of reproduction Agave espadÃn. But Fernando and Family before the harvest chiots rises from the heart of plant. This inhibits their ability to increase the number of fields under cultivation (the plant produce "Hijos" or Children through the root system, but that is a secondary means of reproduction and is not left on in commercial enterprises).  is also important that the harvesting of the plant prematurely by not waiting for the puppy, cutting, and then ensure that the natural sugars a chance in the base or "pia ± a gathering "of the system, negatively affects the quality of the finished product.
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But dictated as well as traditional manufacturing Mezcal the pia ± as in a pit about eight feet deep and six meters wide, high baked on top of firewood and River Rock. Instead of synthetic material to cover the "oven" a layer of palm leaves crowned with the earth is the similarity between normal and mezcal production utilized. recicado stops here. Â
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Instead of crushing the agave baked with a mule or pony pulling a lime wheel over them, around a circular enclosure, the plant boiled pulverized by human power, with a tree or root  hand carved long wooden mallet to pound the baked agave to a pulp in a five-foot canoe-shaped wooden Vessel.  Four posts — thick, straight branches — support of a large "bag" made out of bull hide, about four meters covered over with plastic ground.Â, the mash into the left the sun to ferment, for four fifty-six days. Â
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The distillation takes place in a protected place of laminated metal roof, is located 20 meters from the home. The family employs four igloo-shaped stills, aligned in a straight row. of stone and mud Fashioned each is virtually identical to the next. Starting from the bottom, contains the opening where firewood is a tube-shaped stone, a clay cylinder supports in which the fermented juice and fiber are placed. steam rising from him in a bottomless clay pot. The pot is a bowl, or whatever else is available to cover use.Â
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Water from a halved and hollowed Trunk runs above the Stills, and fills each of the four shells from concave pieces of Agave leaf exit leading from four holes in the channel above. Since the steam rises and reaches the shell, is now cooled by the water, takes condensation dripping on the ground Liquid another piece of agave leaf, those on the inside center the saucepan appropriate, and except for a small hole in the side of the angled container. The liquid leaves the vessel through the hole. A hollowed-out length of the River Reed, stuck firmly in the hole and down makes sure that the recicado flows slowly from the pot and in a urn. Â
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The primitive operation is a lot of steps and adheres to certain principles needed to produce the more artisanal mezcal technique. mirror But important elements missing, no doubt about that in the quality of the mind:
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- 1) As already mentioned, not the Pia ± a is the optimal time harvested;
- 2) after fermentation is only the third time in full usually required to sufficiently leaven Espadán for mezcal production in Oaxaca central valleys, although the exposure to the sun supported on a continuous basis, as well as the semi-tropical lowlands protected environment;
- 3) recicado is only distilled once.
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The result is a relatively low aqueous alcoholic beverage, almost angry at the taste. But the local population buys and drinks it and pays about double the price it costs to buy the traditional 40-46 percent alcohol content of mezcal in the cities and villages around the city Oaxaca.  To be sure, I have made the attempt by a competitor recicado the street, and found it only slightly less unpleasant be.
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On my return visit to Pueblo Viejo, I get two or three liters of my favorite for the village mezcals Sánchez Cisneros family hope sample. is intended that Fernando Natividad Hilda and the opportunity to experiment is to embrace the production, and possible start, a mind more acceptable to the to distill the palate … and at least a bit of a kick. Then who knows the family can even begin to Mezcal market, leaving recicado die slow, and perhaps even welcomed death.Â
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However, care should be taken not to disturb the basic Equipment and materials, which is currently in production. they are a strong attraction for the enthusiast willing to make the trek to Pueblo Viejo.Â, but more importantly , is the distillation of principles must be adhered to stay from time immemorial, which testify the hypothesis that the production of spirits, on the mere fermentation the juice of the agave, in the Mixteca Alta region of Oaxaca, developed before the conquest, and regardless of the science and technology of the Western world.
About the Author
Alvin Starkman received his Masters in Social Anthropology in 1978. After teaching for a few years he attended Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, thereafter embarking upon a career as a litigator until 2004. Alvin now resides in Oaxaca, where he writes, leads small group tours to the villages, markets, ruins and other sites, is a consultant to film production companies, and operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast. ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ) .