Aguamiel

• Aguamiel is the sweet plant water contained within the mature agave. It has been a source of liquid during times of drought in Mexico. To use it, remove the central flower stalk of a 7-to-8-year-old agave plant and allow the plant's core to swell with juice. A sort of scab will form where the stalk was removed; use a knife to puncture this and allow it to rot over a period of about a month. Completely remove this scab after a month has passed, and harvest the aguamiel that pools in the newly created cavity daily.
  
  

Pulque

• Pulque is a crude alcoholic beverage made by fermenting fresh aguamiel that has been harvested from the agave plant. Start your first batch of pulque by allowing the aguamiel to sit in a large, uncovered tub for several days. In two to six days you will have given bacteria in the aguamiel enough time to convert much of the sugar into alcohol. Save a small bottle of pulque to use as a starter for your next batch to speed up fermentation.
  
  

Tequila

• To make tequila, remove all the stalks and leaves of the agave plant to roast it and distill the juice contained in the plant's core, called a pina. Use a large, sharp machete to clear all plant matter from the above-ground core of the succulent. Build a large wood fire to roast the pina and concentrate the juices contained within. Next, split and shred the pina with the machete so the juice will be more easily extracted. Run the pulp of the core through a press to collect all the juice. Use a distiller to refine this juice into pure tequila alcohol.
  
  

Nectar

• Agave nectar is used as a substitute for sugar, honey and other sweeteners. Extract nectar from the pina in a similar process to tequila-making but without roasting the core of the plant before pressing it for juice. Simmer off excess water to leave behind a sticky, sweet syrup. Use the nectar in place of other sweeteners in recipes and hot drinks like coffee and tea to add enzymes, vitamins and minerals to your diet.
  
  

Barbecue

• Use the large, green spikes of the agave plant to line a barbecue pit and add flavor to your slow-cooked meats. People in the Tlaxcala region of Mexico not only use the fresh parts of the plant for flavor and moisture, they also use dried stalks from the plant as firewood for a cooking heat source. Dig a pit in the ground, throw stones in the bottom to reflect heat, then lower in your meat, covered in agave leaves. Build a fire on top of the pit with dried agave plant matter and allow it to smolder for 8 hours or more before uncovering your meat.