Tepache vendor in an open-air market or tianguis in Mexico City. Author's image. Mexico City has gradually turned its back on traditional drinks and foods. With the arrival of large multinational commercial consortiums and fast-food chains that have branches in virtually every neighborhood in the city, the dishes and brews that grandparents and other ancestors consumed run the risk of falling into disuse or disappearing. Here we’ll take a look at two of the drinks that fall into this category. Tepache is a low-alcohol drink, similar to beer but sweet. Its current form has an intense amber color and is made primarily of fermented pineapple, sweetened with piloncillo (panela) and seasoned with cinnamon and other spices. It is believed that its etymology is in the náhuatl word “tepatli”, which means “corn drink”. The chronicler Memo Bautista wrote about this beverage on the website Crónicas de Asfalto: El tepache no es curativo como algunas personas creen. En todo caso, es la piña la que ayuda a limpiar el riñón. Lo que sí hace este brebaje, y muy bien, es quitar la sed. Sin embargo, aunque es muy popular por su sabor dulce y su casi nulo porcentaje de alcohol —sólo uno por ciento, hasta los niños lo consumen— casi no existen locales donde se sirva exclusivamente esta bebida. La entrada de la industria refresquera al país en la década de los 50 provocó que el tepache poco a poco fuera quedando relegado, al grado que actualmente en la Ciudad de México existen menos de diez tepacherías, dedicados exclusivamente a este producto. Tepache does not contain healing properties as some people believe. In any case, it’s pineapple that helps to clean the kidneys. What this concoction does, very well, is to quench the thirst. However, although it is very popular because of its sweet taste and its almost zero percentage of alcohol – only one percent, even children consume it – there are almost no places where this drink is exclusively served. The entry of the soft drink industry in Mexico during the 1950s caused tepache to gradually be relegated, to the extent that currently in Mexico City, there are less than 10 tepache bars, dedicated exclusively to this product. This drink is served cold and is usually enjoyed in the mornings and afternoons to quench the thirst caused by the hot temperatures. As mentioned by Bautista, few establishments exclusively sell it, so it is usually found in open-air markets, or tianguis, where it is consumed in disposable cups or even in bags. This is what one of the people who drinks tepache said on Twitter: Cuando voy a los tianguis siempre pido mi tepache sin hielo, para que le quepa más al vaso, porque seré pobre, pero pendeja nunca☝? — Rita Salas (@RitaaSalas) 1 de agosto de 2017 When I go to open-air markets, I always ask for my tepache without ice, in order for more to fit in the glass, because I'll be poor, but never stupid When speaking about one of the few establishments dedicated solely to the sale of tepache, Bautista said: El Oasis huele a dulce, a fruta, despide un ligero aroma a fermentación pero no es desagradable. El olor provine de los siete barriles donde se está llevando el proceso de degradación de la piña y demás frutas que lleva la receta que esta familia ha conservado por 55 años, durante tres generaciones. [The establishment] El Oasis smells sweet, fruity, it gives off a slight aroma of fermentation but is not unpleasant. The smell comes from the seven barrels where the degradation process of pineapple and other fruits is taking place, based on the recipe that this family has kept for 55 years, for three generations. Being a homemade product, perhaps traditional, tepache doesn’t have a secret recipe. Nor is it available canned or pasteurized and packaged to ensure its conservation. It can be prepared by anyone interested in doing so. The basic steps to follow can be found in wikiHow. Tepache Cascara de Piña Fermentada en Agua Piloncillo Canela Hielo para este Calor de Verano pic.twitter.com/G0TyTC9PJa — DANIELA (@DANIELASCORT) 31 de julio de 2017 Tepache Pineapple peels fermented in water Piloncillo Cinnamon Ice for this summer heat Another option in the catalog of consumable liquids found in Mexico City is pulque. It is also a drink that has an ancient story, according to the website Del Maguey (another name given in Mexico to Agave): La bebida es de al menos 2,000 años de antigüedad. Es la savia, llamado aguamiel o agua miel, que se convierte en pulque a través de un proceso de fermentación natural que puede ocurrir dentro de la planta, pero por lo general se lleva a cabo en una “Tinacal” (lugar de producción).