Xtabentún (liqueur)
Encyclopedia
Xtabentún is an anise
liqueur
made in Mexico
's Yucatán
region from anise seed, and fermented honey
produced by bee
s from the nectar of xtabentún flowers. Rum
is then added to the anise and honey mixture. Because of the rum content, the xtabentún liqueur is sometimes called a "distilled
honey" beverage, which is misleading, because the honey alcohol is fermented
, not distilled.
, a ceremonial liquor produced by the Maya
. The strong flavor did not appeal to the Spanish conquistadores, so they introduced anise and took away the tree bark and corn.
. It refers to the Christmas vine (Turbina corymbosa), a species of morning glory
whose seeds contain ergine
and have hallucinogenic properties. This has led Jonathan Ott
to suggest that balché
may also have had entheogenic
qualities, although this remains to be demonstrated.
and honey. It can also be served with coffee, creating a drink called Mayan coffee, or with one shot of tequila and an equal part xtabentún. Adding half a lime makes a "Maya margarita".
Anise
Anise , Pimpinella anisum, also called aniseed, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Its flavor resembles that of liquorice, fennel, and tarragon.- Biology :...
liqueur
Liqueur
A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
made in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
's Yucatán
Yucatán
Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
region from anise seed, and fermented honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
produced by bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s from the nectar of xtabentún flowers. Rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
is then added to the anise and honey mixture. Because of the rum content, the xtabentún liqueur is sometimes called a "distilled
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
honey" beverage, which is misleading, because the honey alcohol is fermented
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
, not distilled.
Origin
Xtabentún has its origin in balchéBalché
Balché is a mildly intoxicating beverage common among ancient and indigenous cultures in areas of what is now Mexico and upper Central America. Today the drink is still common among the Yucatec Maya, and is made from the bark of a leguminous tree , which is soaked in honey and water, and fermented...
, a ceremonial liquor produced by the Maya
Maya peoples
The Maya people constitute a diverse range of the Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America. The overarching term "Maya" is a collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term...
. The strong flavor did not appeal to the Spanish conquistadores, so they introduced anise and took away the tree bark and corn.
Etymology
The word xtabentún means "vines growing on stone" in the Mayan languageMayan languages
The Mayan languages form a language family spoken in Mesoamerica and northern Central America. Mayan languages are spoken by at least 6 million indigenous Maya, primarily in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize and Honduras...
. It refers to the Christmas vine (Turbina corymbosa), a species of morning glory
Morning glory
Morning glory is a common name for over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae, whose current taxonomy and systematics is in flux...
whose seeds contain ergine
Ergine
Ergine, also known as d-lysergic acid amide , d-lysergamide, and LA-111, is an alkaloid of the ergoline family that occurs in various species of vines of the Convolvulaceae and some species of fungi...
and have hallucinogenic properties. This has led Jonathan Ott
Jonathan Ott
Jonathan Ott is an ethnobotanist, writer, translator, publisher, natural products chemist and botanical researcher in the area of entheogens and their cultural and historical uses, and helped coin the term "entheogen".-Writings:...
to suggest that balché
Balché
Balché is a mildly intoxicating beverage common among ancient and indigenous cultures in areas of what is now Mexico and upper Central America. Today the drink is still common among the Yucatec Maya, and is made from the bark of a leguminous tree , which is soaked in honey and water, and fermented...
may also have had entheogenic
Entheogen
An entheogen , in the strict sense, is a psychoactive substance used in a religious, shamanic, or spiritual context. Historically, entheogens were mostly derived from plant sources and have been used in a variety of traditional religious contexts...
qualities, although this remains to be demonstrated.
Use
It is usually served straight, cold, or with iceIce
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
and honey. It can also be served with coffee, creating a drink called Mayan coffee, or with one shot of tequila and an equal part xtabentún. Adding half a lime makes a "Maya margarita".