Mezcal is made from the agave plant, commonly referred to in Mexico as maguey. In the tequila region the indigenous people call the plant mezcal. Agave — a Greek word meaning noble — was assigned to the 400 + species a hundred years ago due to the large number of uses that the plant offered ancient peoples. After the agave matures (6-8 years) it is harvested by magueyeros (agave field workers, more generally called jimadores) and the leaves are chopped off using a long-handled knife known as a coa or coa de jima (a type of machete), leaving only the large hearts, which are called corazón (Spanish for "heart") or piñas (Spanish for "pineapple"). The corazón is then cooked and crushed, producing a mash.
Santiago Matatlan in Oaxaca is known as the world capital of Mezcal.
