Tequila, Jalisco in the context of List of fermented foods

Tequila (/təˈkiːlə/; Spanish: [teˈkila] ) is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila 65 km (40 mi) northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands (Los Altos de Jalisco) of the central western Mexican state of Jalisco.

The red volcanic soils in the region of Tequila are well suited for growing the blue agave, and more than 300 million plants are harvested there each year. Agave grows differently depending on the region. Blue agaves grown in the highlands Los Altos region are larger and sweeter in aroma and taste. Agaves harvested in the valley region have a more herbaceous fragrance and flavor. Due to its historical and cultural importance, the region near Tequila was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, the Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila.

The Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila is a cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mexico. The 35,019-hectare site is part of an expansive landscape of blue agave, shaped by the culture of the plant used since the 16th century to produce the spirit known as tequila and for at least two millennia to make fermented drinks (such as pulque) and cloth. Within the landscape are working distilleries reflecting the growth in the consumption of tequila in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, this agave culture is seen as part of Mexican national identity. The Tequila landscape has contributed to many works of art such as film, music, dance, and paintings.

The site includes the living, working agave fields and the urban settlements of Tequila, Magdalena, El Arenal and Amatitan. The area is also testimony to the Teuchitlan tradition (AD 200-900) which shaped the landscape through the creation of terraces for agriculture, housing, temples, ceremonial mounds and ball courts.