Economic Aspects, Social Aspects, and Management of Pulque at Points of Sale in Tlaxcala, Mexico

Abstract

Selling pulque requires extensive knowledge of its handling, mainly learned through oral communication. Its uses and related customs have been little described outside production sites in Tlaxcala. Therefore, this work has documented the traditional knowledge of pulque handling at the points of sale (POS) in Tlaxcala, one of the main producers of this beverage in Mexico. Economic data on the sale of pulque and the descriptions of sellers and customers are also provided. Semistructured interviews were conducted in 131 POS in 93% of Tlaxcala's municipalities using snowball sampling. The results describe management activities in the POS of pulque, aguamiel, and cured pulque, such as cold or room temperature storage. Pulque is sold within most of Tlaxcala, but its production and sale are greatest in the northern part. Pulque sales constitute a job opportunity for adults, mostly men who sell in pulquerías (63%). Pulque is sold by producers (64% > 60 years old) in their homes (50%) and pulquerías (22%). Half the pulque is resold mainly in pulquerías (57%) and homes (12%). A total of 84% of the establishments are less than 20 years old, and service is provided every day, with working hours exceeding 7 h. The price of pulque varies widely, since it can be sold from $0.26 to $5.16 per liter. This variability is possibly associated with the type of POS. Customers prefer sweet pulque, and more than half the consumers are male (55%). This work is a guideline for future state censuses of pulque production and sale.