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La Tuba.....Very Refreshing!


Bisbee Gal

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After years of watching the summer Tuba vendor with his large gourd carried in a yoke over his shoulders, I finally tried one yesterday.  Mmmm....very refreshing in our summer heat.  It was well-balanced and tasted fruity with a hint of acid.   The vendor offered it with or without peanuts.  

From what I've read, recipes for it vary but it starts with partially fermented coconut sap, often supplemented with cider vinegar (though coconut vinegar may be more accurate).  

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I used to get tuba down in Comala all the time...it is great!  A little more problematic here as it is not so common and needs to be used before it ferments too much!  If you Google it, you can learn where it came from and how it is made.  Once in a while I can find the guy here in Chapala.

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Per Wikipedia about the alcohol content:

Mexican tuba is also commonly sold as tuba fresca, a non-alcoholic version made from fresh coconut sap. Tuba fresca is traditionally sold by street vendors in large bottle gourds mixed with coconut milk, ice, and sugar. It is usually topped with peanuts and diced fruit.

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Fruit stands selling tuba can be found all along the highway between Manzanillo and Barra de Navidad. I had some on the weekend. Fermented but not alcoholic; burned the throat a little going down. Like booze but not. I have never tried it before so have nothing to compare this guy's tuba to anyone else's to establish a baseline. I wouldn't buy it again, though. Very sweet.

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More about tuba, as well as some other refreshing cold drinks in Mexico:  https://mexicocooks.typepad.com/mexico_cooks/2014/09/tuba-tepache-tejate-and-more.html

This past weekend (May 17-19) I participated in a three-day food festival in Morelia, Michoacán.  The invited Mexican state was Colima.  The vendors brought tuba, which I have missed for quite a while.  It didn't have the minced apples, but it did have the salty peanuts.  It's better with both.  

What I really, really miss from Jalisco is tejuino.  If you haven't had it, find it and you'll love it.  Be sure it comes with a scoop of nieve de limón (lemon ice) on top!

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3 hours ago, More Liana said:

More about tuba, as well as some other refreshing cold drinks in Mexico:  https://mexicocooks.typepad.com/mexico_cooks/2014/09/tuba-tepache-tejate-and-more.html

This past weekend (May 17-19) I participated in a three-day food festival in Morelia, Michoacán.  The invited Mexican state was Colima.  The vendors brought tuba, which I have missed for quite a while.  It didn't have the minced apples, but it did have the salty peanuts.  It's better with both.  

What I really, really miss from Jalisco is tejuino.  If you haven't had it, find it and you'll love it.  Be sure it comes with a scoop of nieve de limón (lemon ice) on top!

I noticed that some of the staff went over to their bar and added fruit to the peanuts;  not certain it was apples.   This version was not very sweet....had a nice vinegar-y finish over floral notes.  Not sure I'd have even ID'd it as coconut if I hadn't read that it is derived from coconut palm.  

Will keep our eyes open for tejuino.....any locals know where that might be found?

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8 hours ago, ComputerGuy said:

The only tejuino I ever had was in Tonala. After putting in some lovely-looking ingredients, they added hot sauce, lime juice, and beer. Perhaps the most disgusting thing I ever drank.

Trust me, that's not tejuino.  It's some bastardized version of a michelada.  Here's a photo I took of a tejuinero on a street in Tlaquepaque.  Tejuino is made of slightly fermented corn masa, piloncillo, a pinch of salt, and water.  In Jalisco, it's usually served with a squeeze of limón and with a scoop of nieve de limón on top.  It's absolutely deliciously addictive.  Of course now I want some!

Tours Ramon and Annabelle Tejuinero Tlaquepaque.jpg

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19 hours ago, Tiny said:

Like the "sugar bomb"  I was joking because it contains alcohol, even being a very low level, and sugar.

Tejuino...you either love it or you don't. I personally think it's the best drink EVER, especially on days like today. Only problem is that with the ciclopista prohibiting any parking in front of Arrañaga on the carretera, it's a PITA to park. Theirs are terrific, by the way.

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2 hours ago, jrod said:

Tejuino...you either love it or you don't. I personally think it's the best drink EVER, especially on days like today. Only problem is that with the ciclopista prohibiting any parking in front of Arrañaga on the carretera, it's a PITA to park. Theirs are terrific, by the way.

Yeah, much like Pulque...love it or hate it.

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