| In Nahuatl, the literal meaning of the word MEXICO is “the navel of the maguey”, or in Spanish, ombligo de maguey.
IN OUR CULTURE, THE ORIGINS OF A PERSON OR A THING WERE WHAT GAVE THAT PERSON OR THING THEIR PURPOSE; OUR ANCESTORS REFERRED TO THEMSELVES AS THE NAVEL OF THE UNIVERSE, AND TO THE MAGUEY AS A GIFT FROM THE GODS, WHICH IS WHY THEY NAMED THEIR LAND OMBLIGO DE MAGUEY, THE LAND WE NOW KNOW AS MEXICO The story goes that way back in pre-Colombian times, the dry fleshy leaves of the agave were used as fuel, and their ashes used to make soap. Once the leaves were removed, the honey was extracted from the center—the OMBLIGO—of the plant to be consumed, thanks to its exquisite flavor. Legend has it that a bolt of lightning struck the OMBLIGO DEL MAGUEY, the heart of the plant, causing the honey to boil, resulting in the creation of a mouth-watering nectar. Since the drink was discovered by chance, it being the product of nature’s hand intervening, the natives declared it a gift from the gods, indeed one that when consumed endowed the drinker with extraordinary “powers”, in reality simply the effects of the alcohol. El necutli o aguamiel y su producto fermentado u octli, desde entonces fueron alimentos importantes de las comunidades, haciendo un ritual del consumo de tequila. |
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