Then you die. Even though the worm is soaked in mezcal and pickled in it, no alcohol is present on it. It has no aphrodisiac properties, and it does not induce hallucinations. In extreme cases, it can even lead to death. Oddly enough, there are many kinds of gusano de maguey (Agave Worms), but only the Chinicuil Gusano is used. Want to know more about Tequila worms and why are they used? Can you get sick drinking tequila with a worm? After infesting the agave plant, and then being filtered out from amber-colored agave juice, maguey worm larvae can continue to grow within an enclosed environment inside distilleries or warehouses. Can you eat up to 75 tequila worms? This is a question that has been asked by many people who enjoy drinking tequila. Another bottle with the worm in is this one, which you can get on amazon prime and be munching on a Gusano de Maguey by tomorrow afternoon. It tastes good! Look at the bottom of a bottle of mezcal if youre looking for worms in tequila bottles. How Long Does It Take A Saguaro To Grow An Arm? They do, in fact. Consequences Of Eating The Worm In Tequila. Jacobo Lozano Pez, a distiller in the 1940s, says it changes the flavor of the booze; Both tequila and mezcal can be made in agave, but, There are different theories on why gusano is placed inside the, https://www.foodandwine.com/cocktails-spirits/differences-between-tequila-mezcal, https://bioone.org/journals/florida-entomologist/volume-102/issue-1/024.102.0101/Scyphophorus-acupunctatus-ColeopteraDryophthoridaeA-Weevil-Threatening-the/10.1653/024.102.0101.full, 100% blue agave plant is used for the tequila, 10 Best Places To Stay For Bourbon Trail Listed (2023), Is Mezcal Stronger Than Tequila? The tequila worms popularity has grown steadily in recent years in a low-key manner. As an owner of multiple bars in the last 17 years, Cathy brings her experience into her writings, to educate our tasty readers. Tequila is almost 10x more popular in the U.S. than Mezcal but that is changing as consumers become educated on the nuances of Mezcal. The shelf life of mezcal is indefinite, but if mezcal develops an off odor, flavor or appearance, it should be discarded for quality purposes. This includes tequila, which is made in specific regions of Mexico and must be made from only blue agave (agave tequilana). Depending on who you ask, the worm has the powers of an aphrodisiac, can make you hallucinate, or will make you look hella dope in front of your friends. However, Mexican chefs often incorporate gusano de maguey the worm into dishes, and the fried version makes for a great drinking snack alongside tequila. The worm does not produce hallucinogens or aphrodisiacs, nor does it produce mood-boosting effects. Insect larvae are safe to consume, and there are no known side effects as a result of eating them. Whatever the reason, it is definitely an interesting addition to tequila. Larvae from maguey worms are used in tequila and mezcal because they are actually a natural byproduct of mezcal production, and theyre believed to be necessary for the flavor profile by the mezcal maker. But what does eating this really do? The worm is added to the bottle for flavor and is not meant to be consumed. Which means tequila is a type of mezcal, but mezcal is not tequila, and only mezcal has worms. In Mexico, tequila is often served with a worm in the bottle. It's probably the biggest marketing ploy for agave spirits since the old tequila slammer. Eating maggots or maggot-infested food can cause bacterial poisoning. A popular belief says that if you eat the worm found at the bottom of your favorite glass of tequila or mezcal bottles, then you will have hallucinations or even visions in your dreams. In Mexico, there are at least five different ways of serving up maguey worms including frying them with rice and salsa, adding them into hot chocolate or even cooking them into scrambled eggs for breakfast! It just has a reputation as one of the stronger spirits. They are pretty damn small and if you swallow it whole washing it down with mezcal then you shouldnt even feel it in your mouth. Yes, it is totally fine to consume the tequila worm. A baby moth. One can be credited with having consumed a large amount of tequila or Mezcal. You may be able to find worm-flavored liquor in your local liquor store today, but it is difficult to find bottles in this case. (Maguey is agave, the plant which tequila and Mezcal is made from). Maybe? Some chew it as if it were a gummy bear, while others claim it is a delicacy. 8 Surprising Health Benefits. What does it feel like to drink a glass of mezcal made with worm? In the 1950s, a Mexican mezcal maker discovered a moth larvae in a batch of mezcal, which inspired a legend about a worm. Somewhat of a glorified name tag if you will. We cant escape this group of foods because we have an excessive cultural fear. The first one is a larva of the beetle Scyphophorus Acupunctatus its a white larva [. What Are The Health Benefits Of One Shot Of Tequila A Day. A quality Mezcal needs no gimmicks. Some species of worm are edible, while others are not. Is it even a real thing? Eat bugs if the fates align with your wishes, and be as open to experiencing the spirit first. However, if you really want to try it out as it is an experience to drink and eat the worm. The most common type youll find at the bottom of the tequila bottle are larvae from maguey worms, which grow to about one centimeter in length. They are indeed. So, if youre looking for a way to get drunk, dont bother with the worm in tequila. What you asked on that little worm in your tequila bottle was answered. If you start seeing things after eating the worm, it probably has more to do with the mezcal you had to drink than the actual larva. Because tequila and mez cal are made from the Agave plant, they are both made from one of 250 types of cacti. As it reaches the stomach, the worm will start to digest the tequila. Its an easy way to make a basic meal taste exotic. Agave worms in mezcal do not have the salty crunch of fried ones, but they can be eaten raw. Mezcal is a distilled alcohol made from a variety of Agave plants. The worms legend started in the 1950s, when a Mexican maker discovered a moth larvae in a batch of mezcal. What Happens If You Eat The Worm In Mezcal? Some people believe that eating the worm will make you drunker, but there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. There are two types of gusano. Some great Mezcals are made with the worm in the bottle, but most aren't. And, no, the worm doesn't have any hallucinogenic effects. As a result, they were confusing mezcal with mescaline, a potent psychoactive component of the peyote plant. That is a difficult question to answer. Meaning by the time you had the worm you were just about drunk enough to think you were hallucinating. ins.style.minWidth = container.attributes.ezaw.value + 'px'; You wont find a worm at the bottom of a tequila bottle if you dont drink it. When he goes out to relax or celebrate some small wins, Pat never ceases to grab a bottle of Buffalo Trace. Worms are sometimes added to the pia before it is distilled, and they can end up in the tequila bottle. But what happens when you eat this worm served in Tequila? A variety of spirits, such as tequila and mzcal, are available. The larva is usually either a gusano rojo ("red worm") or a chinicuil ("maguey worm"), the caterpillar of the Comadia redtenbacheri moth. This site is dedicated to our earthworm (and other worm) friends and covers everything from what they eat, how to farm them, how to compost with them and everything in between. This marketing gimmick made people drink more mezcal, especially in the 1940s and 1950s. And was most likely just a way to make people buy more Mezcal. ins.style.display = 'block'; Individual experiences may differ from those of others. Here, the best sipping tequilas our experts recommend to drink right now. There are two versions of this, the first as a marketing trick and the second as a relic of a previous strategy for grouping different bottles. It's more of a gimmick than a tradition. Hes a brand storyteller who has worked for the biggest retail brands and business personalities. A collaboration between Monte Alban Mezcal and WormTa tequila. Mezcal with the worm, as they say, is all a marketing ploy, but there are many better mezcals without the worm. Larvae began appearing in mezcal bottles in the 1950s, when a mezcal maker discovered a moth larvae in a batch of his liquor and thought the stowaway improved its taste. So then what does eating a worm do? We x-ray your bags while you walk through a scanner, and we use a machine to take x-rays of your bags. Contrary to popular belief, the worm in mezcal isnt a worm at all, its actually a larva. No, tequila worms will not get you drunk. Those were the days. An internet commenter compared it to wet rotten leather that had been washed with an ashtrays juice. Technically, no, there arent worms at the bottom of most tequila bottles. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. Im here to tell you that yes it does exist, and yes it is still a thing. Both of which are picture above. Many health benefits are thought to be found when you eat the worm in tequila. Despite the purported benefits, many people are hesitant to accept worm salts true potential. There is no danger of death as long as you stay healthy. var ins = document.createElement('ins'); The larvae are found in the same Agave plants used to make Tequila and Mezcal. So is the worm alive or not in mezcal? Even though the worm is closely associated with the agave plant, we can't really figure out when it started appearing in Mezcal bottles. There are only a few venomous snakes, but if you sting one, your skin will puff up for a few days. One is the larva of the beetle Scyphophorus acupunctatus, which is what the red larva is and the other is larva of the moth Comadia redtenbacheri from the Cossidae family of moths, which is what the white larva and most popular used is. A few well-deserved pats on the back are normal, but you may not realize that you just experienced much more. True imbibers of the alcohol can attest to the fact that worms are only found in tequila's lower-class sister, which is known as mescal . Chinicuil worms are actually caterpillar larvae. A marketing ploy like this was responsible for the rise of mezcal consumption during the 1940s and 1950s. Tequila has been commercialized and is now mass-produced in large diffusers rather than ovens. Because of their ability to feed on the maguey plant, the larvae of Maguey worms are moths. Eating the small gusano variety would most likely just taste like dirt with lots of alcohol on top. If you click Agree and continue, you will be asked to agree to these technologies. According to Culture Map, the bottle was created by Tequila Ley . Whether or not you eat the worm is entirely up to you. And no, it wont make you hallucinate. Tequila worm hallucinogenic is a popular topic among those who enjoy discussing the possibility of mind-altering substances. Agave plants, which are used to make tequila and Mezcal, are used to grow these larvae. You can eat as many tequila worms as you like, you will ever hallucinate. Is this fake news? That little worm inside your bottle of tequila is not alive. Others contend that the salt is a cheap trick used to entice people to eat worms. ), Are Trolli Gummy Worms Gluten Free? As soon as you consume the worm, youll notice a lot of the same things as you would if you had consumed the larva, more likely because of the mezcal you consumed. And so Ive answered those questions as well as a few more popular concerns below. An alcoholic drink in the same family, but slightly different to tequila, with smokier notes. var pid = 'ca-pub-5085082616456133'; And, that tradition is not a tradition at all. This was my first experience with a steaming cup of soup. If you really want the best of both, Id recommend picking up some Gusano salt, which is salt made and flavoured in Oaxacan (the birthplace of Mezcal) and flavoured with actual Mezcal worms. Whats the most expensive Don Julio tequila? What Happens If You Eat A Tequila Worm? In most cases, the worm dies after a few days and the symptoms disappear. The worm, you see, is only found in bottles of tequila's close relative, mezcaland what's more, it isn't even a worm at all. Monte Alban is a classic, it use to and sometimes still does come with a small bottle of extra worms. Should you eat the worm at the bottom of the bottle? The tequila worm is commonly referred to as the tequila worm, but it is only found on the bottom of bottles of mezcal, a type of tequila made from distilled blue Agave and other similar plants. (Chickens and Other Bird Species), How to Harvest Worm Castings (While Separating Worms and Cocoons), How Long Can a Dog Live with Heartworms Untreated? Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, The Rise of Vegan Coffee in the USA (& Its Health Benefits), How To Choose The Right Tequila: Rested Vs Unrested, Kirkland Tequila: The Best Bang For Your Buck, Sparkle Donkey A Deliciously Unique Tequila, El Toro Tequila: A Smooth Mellow Tequila With A Vanilla Caramel And Citrus Flavor, Requesting More Chorizo: The Popularity Of Mas Chorizo Duro Por Favor, Uncovering The Net Carbs In Salvadoran Chorizo: What To Know For A Low-Carb Diet. What does eating the worm in tequila do? Despite this, there are numerous types of gusano de maguey (Agave Worms), but only the Chinicuil Gusano is used. This drink is said to be very strong and have a unique flavor. Vodka Sauce: Is The Alcohol Content A Concern? Therefore, whenever you find a bottle of tequila with worm inside, there is a 99.9\% chance that it is not even really tequila at all. Read my full guide on Mezcal here to see how its made and more about the spirit with the worm. 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