Hongo de maguey or gachupin: a species tied to the agave

What is it?

The hongo de maguey, also known as gachupin, gachupines or maguey mushrooms, is an edible wild mushroom that grows exclusively on the dead or decomposing pencas of magueyes (Agave) and nopales. It belongs to the species Pleurotus opuntiae, an oyster-mushroom species adapted to the ecosystem of the succulent plants of the Mexican highlands. It is gathered in states such as Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla and the State of Mexico, where the cultivation and use of pulque maguey has centuries of tradition. Its alternative name gachupin owes to the shape resembling a three-cornered hat, similar to the one worn by peninsular Spaniards in the colonial era. It is one of the few mushrooms directly associated with the maguey, which links its gathering with the cultivation and traditional management of agave for the production of pulque, an ancient Mexican fermented drink.

Origin and history

The hongo de maguey forms part of the rich ethnomycological heritage linked to maguey cultivation in the central Mexican highlands. The Otomi, Nahua and Mazahua peoples of Hidalgo and Tlaxcala have for centuries used the maguey ecosystem, not only for its pencas, its aguamiel and its quiotes, but also for the organisms living on it, among them the gachupin, the maguey worm and chinicuiles. Sahagun, in the Florentine Codex, records the complex use of the meyetl or maguey in Mexica cuisine. Several ethnomycological investigations, such as those published in Revista Etnobiologia and the studies of the Institute of Ecology of UNAM, document the traditional knowledge about hongo de maguey in zones such as Apan, Tepeapulco, Singuilucan, Calpulalpan and Huamantla, emblematic pulque areas of the highlands. The name gachupin also reflects the Mexican cultural metaphor: indigenous cooking appropriated the colonial term to name a mushroom associated with a deeply Mesoamerican crop, turning it into a culinary nod to mestizaje.

Characteristic ingredients

Pleurotus opuntiae is a saprophytic basidiomycete fungus that grows on decomposing maguey or nopal pencas, mainly during the rainy season. Its fruit bodies measure between 5 and 15 centimetres in diameter, with an ear- or shell-shaped cap of cream white to beige yellow colour. The surface is smooth, the gills are white and decurrent, and the stem is short or almost non-existent. The flesh is white, firm and with a characteristic aroma of fresh maguey, vegetal and slightly sweet. The gathering season is short, generally between July and September. In the traditional cuisine of Hidalgo and Tlaxcala it is prepared grilled on a maguey penca with salt, chile guajillo and lard; stewed with epazote and onion; in mixiotes wrapped in maguey penca with xoconostle and chile pasilla; or in blue-masa quesadillas. It is also added to lamb barbacoa and regional soups. Its unique flavour, linked to the maguey substrate, makes it unmistakable and highly prized in Hnahnu (Otomi) and Tlaxcalan cuisine.

Cultural significance

The hongo de maguey is a gastronomic emblem of the pulque region of the highlands and a symbol of the integral use of agave in Mexican culture. Its gathering is part of the productive system of the pulque maguey, declared in different states as Cultural and Biocultural Heritage, especially in Hidalgo and Tlaxcala, where pulque haciendas and Otomi communities have preserved its cultivation for centuries. FAO and the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have highlighted the maguey as a strategic crop for food security and the biocultural heritage of the highlands. Gachupines appear at traditional festivities and in the culinary offer of Pueblos Magicos such as Real del Monte, Huasca de Ocampo and Mineral del Chico (Hidalgo), where they are prepared at traditional cuisine restaurants. Contemporary Mexican cuisine, at restaurants such as Pujol or Quintonil, has integrated hongo de maguey into signature menus, reaffirming its place within the intangible heritage recognised by UNESCO in 2010.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between hongo de maguey and other wild mushrooms?

The hongo de maguey or gachupin (Pleurotus opuntiae) is distinguished because it grows exclusively on decomposing pencas of maguey or nopal, while most Mexican wild mushrooms grow on the forest floor (clavito, tecomate) or on tree trunks (oreja de cantaria). Its flavour has a characteristic note of fresh maguey that no other wild mushroom presents.

What does hongo de maguey taste like?

It has a delicate, vegetal and slightly sweet flavour, with a unique aromatic background reminiscent of fresh maguey penca and green herb. The cooked texture is firm and meaty, similar to that of the oyster mushroom. It is neither bitter nor spicy. It combines excellently with chile guajillo, epazote, xoconostle, lard and the traditional ingredients of the Hidalgo and Tlaxcala highlands.

How is hongo de maguey served?

Traditionally it is grilled on a maguey penca with salt, chilli and lard; prepared in mixiotes wrapped in maguey pencas with xoconostle and chile pasilla; stewed with epazote and onion; or added to blue-masa quesadillas. It also appears in pit-roasted lamb barbacoa and in traditional Hidalgo soups. The maguey penca acts as a natural aromatic vessel in many preparations.

Where is hongo de maguey originally from?

It is native to the Mexican highlands and is strictly associated with the maguey and nopal ecosystem. Its main gathering areas are the pulque states: Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla, the State of Mexico and parts of Queretaro. It grows during the rainy season, between July and September, on pencas of Agave salmiana, A. mapisaga and A. atrovirens, all varieties of traditional pulque maguey.