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How the worm gets into the liquor

The worm in the bottle makes mezcal a cult in its country of origin, Mexico.

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How the worm gets into the liquor

The worm in the bottle makes mezcal a cult in its country of origin, Mexico. Agave schnapps has been produced since the 17th century. But it wasn't until the 1940s and 1950s that some manufacturers started adding a special ingredient: worms, which are strictly speaking larvae.

It was previously unclear to which animal species the larvae belong exactly. With the help of DNA analyzes of so-called Mezcal worms, an international team of researchers has now been able to show that the larvae of the moth Comadia redtenbacheri are predominantly used. According to the researchers, the tradition endangers the existence of the animals. Mezcal is being produced in ever-increasing quantities. Overall, the experts examined larvae from 21 different Mezcals.

"Our finding that all larvae belong to a single species of moth reinforces the importance of C. redtenbacheri to the mezcal industry," researchers led by Akito Kawahara of the University of Florida at Gainesville wrote in the journal PeerJ Life

"The larvae of C. redtenbacheri develop in agaves and not in tree trunks, roots, crowns, trunks or branches," write the team of scientists. The animals laid their eggs in agave plants. As the moths accumulated in large numbers in the plant, the agave died. Larvae collectors, known as gusaneros, identified infested agave plants and pulled out the larvae with a metal hook or an agave spike.

According to the researchers, the intensive collection drastically reduces the number of naturally occurring larvae. Therefore, methods are being worked on to breed the larvae in a targeted manner.

"Aha! Ten minutes of everyday knowledge" is WELT's knowledge podcast. Every Tuesday and Thursday we answer everyday questions from the field of science. Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Amazon Music, among others, or directly via RSS feed.

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