BOOK REVIEW

2004·0.34 MB·English

by  Review By: Karen Hall

^Q BRIT.0R6/SIDA21(1)
BOOKREVIEW
GaryPaulNabhanandAnaGuadaluphValenzuela-Zapata.2004.Tequila!ANatural
andCulturalHistory.(ISBN0-8165-1937-4,pbk.).TheUniversityofAri-
zonaPress,355S.Euclid,Ste.103,Tucson,AZ85719,U.S.A.(Orders:520-
621-1441,fax[phone],www.uapress.arizona.edu).$14.95pbk.,$29.95
hbk.,160pp.,20b/w,5V2"x9i/T'
ItISalwaysapleasuretoshareinsomeoneelsespassion.Fromtheverybeginningofihisbook,itis
obviousthatK-ls.Valenzuela-ZapataandMr,Nabhamenjoyapassionlortheagaveplant.Theybring
usalongwhentheygazeovervasthillsidesofblueagaveandwhentheycomparevarietiesfromall
areasofMexico.Theyrequireustomournwiththemhowtheoverplantingofonespecieshasledto
seriousdiseaseandinfestationoftheagavefields.Theytakeusintothefieldsasthewelltrained
agaveharvesters,orjimadores,chopleavesofftheagavetomaketinepineappleshapedcoresthatwill
beroastedanddistilledintotequila.
Wheretheauthorsdonottakeusisoutontothepatiotosipthefinishedproductwiththemso
wecanlearnaboutthedifferentvarietiesandhowtochooseagoodtequila.TheMexicangovernments
descriptionsofthelourkindsoftequilaareonpage52-3andthenaseriesofpicturesshowsthe
readereverystageoftequilaproductionfromplantingpropagulestotheagingprocessofthefin-
ishedliquor.Otherwisethereisnotastingguide,asonemightexpectfromabookcalled"Wine!"or
"Vodka!"
Goodinformationcanbefoundthroughoutoncultivation,andtherearefourappendicesrang-
ingfromaglossaryoftermstospeciesdescriptionsofagavesusedinthetequilaindustry.Thereis
alsomaterialontheculturalhistoryofpulque,mescalandtequila.Themainfocusofthebooktothis
readerremainsthedevastatingeffectsofrelyingononespeciesofagave.Whetherornotitwasthe
authors'intention,thenexttimeItakeasipoftequilaIwillberemindedofthe"gangrene"epidemic
inthefields,whichISabitteraftertastetoafavoritedrink.-K'fjrcnHal/,LibraryVoliinicer.J3otanica;
ResearchInslituteofTexas,FortWorth.TX,76102-4060,U.S.A.
SIDA21(1):10.2004