Abstract
Pulque is a traditional fermented alcoholic, acidic, viscous drink of the Mexican central highlands. Its production from the “aguamiel” (sap) of agave plants dates back ~1,500 years and continues to be made by artisanal methods. However, the variability of pulque’s quality and its instability hamper its widespread distribution and consumption. Microbiological surveys of pulque from three ranches revealed tremendous variability in the types and quantity of the indigenous microbiota. The population of lactic acid bacteria ranged from 6 × 107 to 2 × 1011 CFU/mL. This variability might be attributed to the conditions on the ranches where the pulque was made. In an attempt to identify these sources of variability, the microbial populations of aguamiel and pulque from a single agave plant were determined. Surprisingly, the population size of the “unfermented” aguamiel and the pulque converged by the end of 3 weeks. The potential use of bacteriocinogenic LAB and known starter cultures to improve pulque properties are discussed.
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Acknowledgments
Much information in this paper is from the chapter on pulque [8] that Dr. A. Escalante shared with us prior to publication. We greatly acknowledge this kindness. We thank the Universidad Tecnológica de la Mixteca and specifically its vice-rector G. García for institutional support and funding for this research. B. Rosales provided essential assistance to interact with the pulque-producing community. Thomas Montville was supported by Rutgers University’s Sabbatical Leave Program and is grateful for UTM’s faculty and administration for their friendship and institutional support during his stay in Huajuapan de Leon.
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Valadez-Blanco, R., Bravo-Villa, G., Santos-Sánchez, N.F. et al. The Artisanal Production of Pulque, a Traditional Beverage of the Mexican Highlands. Probiotics & Antimicro. Prot. 4, 140–144 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12602-012-9096-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12602-012-9096-9