 A cup of tejuino with shaved ice in it. | |
| Course | Beverage |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Mexico |
| Region or state | Jalisco/Nayarit |
| Created by | Wixárikas |
| Serving temperature | Ice cold |
| Main ingredients | Corn,piloncillo, lemon, salt |
| Variations | Limesorbet (nieve de limón),chili powder |
Tejuino is a cold, sugaryfermented beverage made fromcorn and popularly consumed in theMexican states ofJalisco,Colima, andNayarit. Tejuino is usually made fromcorn dough, the same kind used fortortillas andtamales. The dough is mixed with water andpiloncillo (cone-shaped unrefined cane sugar) and boiled until the liquid is very thick. The liquid is then allowed to ferment very slightly. The resulting drink is generally served cold, with lime juice, a pinch of salt and a scoop of shaved ice or limesorbet.[1]
Although the drink is strongly associated with the state of Jalisco, it is also commonly found in other parts ofMexico and more recently inMexican American communities across theSouthwestern United States.[2] In Mexico it is usually sold by street vendors in small plastic cups or in plastic bags tied around a straw. In the United States it can be found inMexican juice bars.[2]
The exact origin of tejuino is disputed; however, most Mexicans agree that the drink dates back topre-Columbian times. The ancientNahua people of Mexico viewed tejuino as the "drink of the gods" and it is still called this by some Mexicans today.[3]
Within the state of Jalisco there are variations as to how it is served. In Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, for example, tejuino is served withoutnieve de limon, or limesorbet; in Guadalajara, Jalisco, it is usually served withnieve de limon, at the buyer's discretion.[4]Nieve de limon is a homemade lime sorbet that is often added to the drink to bring out its natural flavor.
Reports in the analytical chemistry and food science literature have sampled a wide variety of tejuino varietals and have found carbohydrate content to range from approximately 50g to 80g per 8 oz serving.[5] This is at least double, if not more than, the sugar content of aCoca-Cola beverage of similar volume.
Since tejuino is only allowed to ferment for a couple of days at most, the alcohol content is actually very low. There is a common myth among Mexicans that one can get drunk from drinking too much tejuino; however, this is usually due to the addition of small amounts of beer in some recipes rather than the alcohol content of the tejuino itself. If allowed to ferment more than a few days, however, alcohol content can further increase to levels consistent with a mild, non-distilled alcoholic beverage.
