Pulque De Zarzamora
"Blackberry Pulque"
From the treasured pages of La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 2
Written by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo
Pulque De Zarzamora
"Este pulque necesita más requisitos, pues se pone el almíbar á la lumbre hasta que tome punto, ya que está en este estado se le echa la zarzamora molida y colada, y se deja en la lumbre hasta que tome punto alto. Ya que está así, se aparta y luego que se enfria, se une con el pulque."
English Translation
"This pulque requires more steps, as the syrup is put on the heat until it reaches the right consistency. Once it is at this point, add the crushed and strained blackberries, and leave it on the heat until it reaches a thicker consistency. Once it is like this, remove it from the heat, and once it has cooled, mix it with the pulque."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is written in a succinct, directive style typical of late 19th-century Mexican cookbooks, assuming prior basic culinary knowledge. Directions like 'hasta que tome punto' refer to achieving a syrup consistency, which cooks then understood through touch and sight rather than precise measurement. Spelling like 'almíbar á la lumbre' ('syrup on the fire') and terms like 'punto alto' ('high point') use period spellings and domestic idioms. Ingredients are not listed separately, instead being folded directly into the prose as each step is described.
Title
La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 2 (1890)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Antonio Vanegas Arroyo
Era
1890
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A charming pocket-sized volume from the 'Cocina en el Bolsillo' series, brimming with delightful recipes for a variety of foods and offering a flavorful glimpse into historical culinary traditions.
Kindly made available by
University of Texas at San Antonio
This recipe comes from 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 2,' published in 1890 by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, a notable Mexican printer and publisher known for his popular and accessible cookbooks. The series catered to everyday home cooks seeking practical culinary advice. Pulque, a mildly alcoholic fermented drink made from the sap of the maguey plant, was a staple in Mexican daily life, while the addition of blackberry syrup reflects a creative blend of traditional fermentation and European-inspired fruit syrups at the end of the 19th century. Recipes like this one capture the hybrid evolution of Mexican cuisine as it embraced both indigenous and imported flavors.
The preparation traditionally required a small copper or heavy enamel pan for boiling the syrup and a wooden spoon for mixing. The pulque would have been stored in clay or glass jars. Sieving was done using a cloth or a fine-mesh strainer to remove blackberry seeds. For temperature judgment, cooks relied on visual cues and sensory skills rather than thermometers, assessing syrup stages by texture and the way it dripped from a spoon.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Servings
4
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 7 ounces fresh blackberries (zarzamoras), crushed and strained
- 2 cups fresh pulque (or as a substitute, use a lightly fermented kombucha or kefir water, though the flavor will differ)
Instructions
- To create Pulque de Zarzamora with modern ingredients, begin by preparing a blackberry syrup: place 1 1/2 cups of white sugar into a saucepan with 1/2 cup of water.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring, until the syrup thickens to a soft thread stage (about 234°F).
- When the syrup reaches this stage, incorporate 7 ounces of blackberries, previously crushed and passed through a fine sieve to remove seeds and pulp.
- Return to the heat and continue simmering, stirring gently, until the mixture reaches a thick, jammy consistency (the 'high point', or around 240-245°F).
- Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool fully.
- Once cooled, mix the blackberry mixture with 2 cups of fresh pulque.
- Serve chilled for a refreshing ancestral Mexican beverage.
Estimated Calories
180 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 10 minutes to prepare the fruit, and about 20 minutes to cook the syrup and blackberry mixture. Each serving has about 180 calories. This recipe makes 4 servings.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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