Experts and enthusiasts converged in Tucson to celebrate the history, culture, and culinary offerings of the agave plant at the 14th annual Agave Heritage Festival. There are six agave species that grow wild in the Tucson basin, and they are a key nutritional source for pollinators like long-nosed bats, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Cultivation of the agave century plant dates to 950 C.E. and has been used for fiber as well as a food source. How is agave consumed by humans, and what does it taste like? This piece takes viewers to an agave “piñas” roasting pit at Mission Garden and a fermented beverages workshop at El Crisol.
Producer: Liz Scherffius
Videographer/editor: Bob Lindberg
#Agave #Tucson #Culture #AgaveHeritageFestival #arizonaillustrated #pbs