Agave young flower stalk. Agave nectar (also called agave syrup), a sweetener derived from the sap, is used as an alternative to sugar in cooking, and can be added to breakfast cereals as a binding agent. The sap of "A. americana" and other species is used in Mexico and Mesoamerica to produce "pulque", an alcoholic beverage. The flower shoot is cut out and the sap collected and subsequently fermented. By distillation, a spirit called "mezcal" is prepared; one of the best-known forms of mezcal is tequila. When dried and cut in slices, the flowering stem forms natural razor strops, and the
Agave any species known in the wild, although this may simply be due to the differences in growing conditions in Europe. Some commonly grown species include "Agave americana", "Agave angustifolia", "Agave tequilana", "Agave attenuata," "Agave parviflora", "Agave murpheyi", "Agave vilmoriniana", "Agave palmeri", "Agave parryi" and "Agave victoriae-reginae". One of the most familiar species is "Agave americana", a native of tropical America. Common names include century plant, "maguey" (in Mexico), or American aloe (not related to the genus "Aloe"). The name "century plant" refers to the long time the plant takes to flower. The number of years before flowering occurs depends on