One of Mexico's most interesting ancestral food products (and that
is saying a lot, because Mexico is full of interesting foods) is Lechuguilla.
Lechuguilla is a traditional, fermented, pro-biotic drink, made from the
fermentation of the heart of the Agave. It is a non-alcoholic LAB (lactic-acid
bacteria) fermentation, that produces a very characteristic and
refreshing flavor. It is best known in the Jalisco region of Mexico, specially
around Guadalajara.
People in Mexico, and people who have been drinking Lechuguilla
for generations swear about its health benefits, finding that it helps them to
control diabetes, inflammation, depression, mood changes and even prevent
cancer.
We have not been able to find solid scientific studies that
bear these claims, but from recent modern thinking in nutrition about the role
of the human microbiome in the state of our health, we became very curious
about the pro-biotic properties of the naturally occurring
micro-organisms in the the heart of the Agave.
As you know, about 4 years ago we began making Lechuguilla in very
small batches, in a very traditionally artisanal way, experimenting with
different techniques and combining old-world recipes with new flavors.
This has been a project of love, a culinary curiosity of ours,
which we have worked on on the side for a long time. Along the way we have
developed a small but very loyal clientele, who have shared with us their
anecdotal experiences of the benefits of drinking Lechuguilla.
In the same period, we have seen the incredible growth of a
wonderful product that is very similar in benefits and tradition, called
Kombucha. The geniuses that brought this product to the mainstream market
have done the consumer a great deed, by popularizing a truly great product and
by bringing to the forefront the concept of fermented foods and the importance
of cultivating and nurturing our microbiome with probiotic foods.
A lot of the work we have done behind the scenes, here at Don
Pedro's Kitchen, is working with fermentation, trying recipes for our own
enjoyment and creating not only healthy pro-biotic foods, but using traditional
fermentation techniques to create incredible flavors. Most of this work is not
commercial, and we do it as part of the fun side of our business.
Recently a loyal customer came by the office and told me how when
he was out of town on a long trip he could not find our product in any
store, and his body was craving it so much, that he settled for a
Kombucha. He mentioned how much he enjoyed it, and how Kombucha
could be a substitute for our Lechuguilla product.
We decided to look into it, and under the microscope we
found that the lactic acid bacteria in a well known Kombucha brand is
very similar to the naturally occurring Lactic-Acid Bacteria found in our
drink (although the active count in ours seems much higher).
Our "Mexican Kombucha", however is made by fermenting
the hearts of the Lechuguilla Agave, which we harvest organically,
instead of green teas, as the other brands do. Another important difference,
and one that I am actually very proud of, is that our fermentation is 100%
wild. This means we use the naturally occurring micro-organisms in the Agave
plant, instead of "back-slopping" as the traditional Kombucha
technique is called.
This makes our product, culinarily more interesting, and
more complex in its flavors. Of course, this is also the reason why it is
more difficult to scale up commercially.
We recently decided to start bottling our Mexican Kombucha,
instead of the culturally traditional way of putting it in a bag, to start
selling it to a wider audience in a package that is clearly more practical,
albeit less nostalgic.
In developing this process and learning the ancestral secrets of
fermentation, while reconciling it with a solid scientific base, we have
learned a lot, and we will be publishing some interesting posts about
fermentation in general and WILD, NATURAL fermentation in particular.
If you are interested in discussing this fascinating topic, please
drop us a line. We love talking about it and we are wild about wild
fermentation.
