The History of Agave Syrup

By Robert Ayala

Agave syrup is produced from an agave plant, a perennial plant that is more commonly known as a century plant. It stems flowers only once in its lifetime then it dies. The plant is mostly found in Mexico but can also be found in central and tropical South America. In the United States of America, it is found in the southern and western parts of the country. Suckers grow at the base of the agave plant to become new plants. It is also widely recognized that tequila is produced from this plant.

Health Benefits of the Agave

Agave nectar was used in ancient times as flavoring. Together with salt, it was used by the Aztecs as a balm for infections of the skins and as dressing for wounds.

Due to the diet of the modern man, he is prone to high blood sugar levels, which activates the release of insulin. Such incidence can cause a myriad of disorders, like abdominal weight gain and obesity, type II diabetes and insulin resistance, high blood pressure and problems with blood lipids.

Agave nectar can be a substitute to the common table sugar that people are using today because Agave Syrup can provide sweetness without the raising the blood sugar level and unpleasant "sugar rush". It is a natural sweetener, which can be used moderately. Compared to artificial sweeteners, Agave Syrup has no bitter aftertaste.

Production of Agave Syrup

Syrup is produced by extracting the juice from the center of the plant. It is filtered then heated to break down the polysaccharides to simple sugars. When it has been hydrolyzed, it must then be concentrated to become syrup, which is a little thinner than honey with its color ranging from light to dark amber. This process is usually done for blue agave.

Salmiana agave undergoes a different process than blue agave. Before the stalk of a salmiana grows, it is cut off to create a hole in the center of the plant. Once the stalk is cut off, liquid fills the center daily. That liquid is then collected. Enzymes are then used to break down the fructans into dextrose and fructose.

Uses of Agave

The Agave Syrup can be used as substitute to honey. It is 1.4 to 1.6 sweeter than table sugar. For vegetarians, it is used as an alternative to honey. It can be used as sweetener to cold beverages because it dissolves quickly.

Light color syrup is often used in delicate-tasting food and beverages. For food and beverages with stronger flavor, the medium color intensity is used. For poultry, desserts, seafood and meat dishes, the dark amber syrup is used because it gives a distinct flavor to these dishes.

The medium color intensity and dark amber syrup is often used as toppings for pancakes, French toast and waffles. The dark amber version of the syrup has a higher concentration of the plant's minerals because it is unfiltered.

For those who are fond of eating raw food, the raw agave syrup is used as sweeter because of its neutral and mild taste.

Robert Ayala lives in New Orleans where he is dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles. For more info about agave syrup visit http://www.agave-syrup.net