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 titanota Merit. Agave titanota Agave titanota, the chalk agave, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae. It is a medium-sized evergreen succulent perennial native to Oaxaca, Mexico. The plant forms a solitary rosette of broad whitish green leaves with variable spines, occasionally producing offsets. Mature plants may produce a flower head from 3m to 6m tall with yellow flowers. As it is monocarpic, this signals the death of the plant. It can tolerate temperatures of , but in practice is best grown in a sheltered spot without severe frosts. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of