What is the agave or Tzawar?

The Tzawar or agave andean, also known as penco blue, is a plant of the millennial that is immersed in the culture and cosmovision andina del Ecuador, being a partaker of historical processes in different eras, before and after of the Colony, the Republic, and until the present day.

It is worth noting, the importance of this plant in the identity of the ancestral pueblos andinos, as their productive dynamics, ecological, nutritional, are intimately related to the uses, knowledge, bio knowledge and traditional techniques, that have been transmitted – from time immemorial – from generation to generation.

In many regions, the agave is considered a sacred plant and is used in religious ceremonies and traditional festivities (Martínez-Villegas et al.,2020). For example, in the community Salasaca, Ecuador, the feast of the Tzawar Mishky is an annual celebration that revolves around the harvest and consumption of nectar fermented agave. These cultural practices reinforce community ties and cultural identity, while promoting the transmission of knowledge and values associated with the agave. In addition, this plant is used in healing rituals and spiritual cleansings, taking advantage of its medicinal properties and symbolic. These cultural practices and rituals are a manifestation of the deep connection between the andean communities and the agave, and contribute to the appreciation and conservation of this bio-cultural heritage.