Is the worm even a traditional element in mezcal production?
Not according to Del Maguey Mezcal producers: they say it’s a recent development, a marketing ploy that appeared only in the 1940s to try and get more attention on mezcal – and they should know. It’s worth reading their story at: www.mezcal.com/worms.html. BUT yes, you’re supposed to eat the worm in mezcal. Don’t worry: it’s quite well pickled and free of pesticides (they’re often raised just for use in mezcal, cooked and pickled in alcohol for a year). But dispel any idea it has any magical or psychotropic properties, that it’s an aphrodisiac or the key to an ‘unseen world.’ It’s merely protein and alcohol – but it’s very rich in imagery. Click the following links for more tequila myths.
