Mexico inaugurates exhibition in Bali.
Mexican old pictures on Mexican traditional beverage.

The photographic exhibition “Blanco Licor de la diosa Mayahuel” (The White Liquor of Goddess Mayahuel) from Mexico is now in Bali. The “White Liquor” alludes to “pulque”,a beverage obtained from the heart of the plant. Pulque, or octli, Is a milk-colored, viscous low alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant. Similar in process to the Indonesian beverage Legen, from Siwalan or Buah Lontar. Maguey, a cacti Agaveamericana, is also known as Century Plant it is found almost in every corner of the varied and sometimes rugged Mexican geography. It is very generous plant, with many properties and uses in medicine and industry.

Pulque is a traditional native beverage of Mexico was considered sacred to ancient Meso American peoples, and its use was limited to certain social classes. After the Spanish Conquest of Mexico, the drink became secular and its consumption rose. It reach edit speakin the late 19th century. In the 20th century, the drink fell into decline, mostly because of competition from beer, which became more prevalent with the arrival of European immigrants.

Currently there are some efforts to revive the drink’s popularity through tourism. May we see these effort succeed, for it was a sacred drink, and (in moderate amounts) full of nutrients and benefits. It contains carbohydrates, vitamin C, Bcomplex, D, E, amino acid sand minerals such as iron and phosphorus. Surprisingly, we have seen its consumption grow among athletes and body builders.

These beautiful pictures belong to Archivo Casasola, the most important photographic archive in Mexico an extraordinary source of images of Mexican daily life. They were taken In late 19th and early 20th century Mexico and portrait the Golden Age of pulque consumption, and work in the agave plantations.

White Liquor from Goddess Mayahuel will beat “Danes Art Veranda”, Jl. Hayam Wuruk no 159, Denpasar 80235 Bali until 31 March 2011.