Biologists have finally identified the \u2018worm\u2019 added to bottles of mezcal <\/p>

It\u2019s always a good idea to know what you\u2019re drinking. And yet the identity of a crucial ingredient of an infamous alcoholic beverage has been something of a mystery until now.<\/p>\n

Mezcal, a Mexican spirit distilled from agave plants, is famous for the pickled \u2018worm\u2019 lurking at the bottom of the bottle, which adds colour and flavour, and an element of trepidation for drinkers. All that was certain is that it\u2019s not a worm, but some sort of insect larva.<\/p>\n

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Image: Black-handed spider monkey \u00a9 Kryssia Campos\/Getty<\/p>\n

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$\""Black-handed\"$ <\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>
The results, published in PeerJ<\/em><\/a>, revealed them all to be caterpillars of a moth named Comadia redtenbacheri<\/em>, which live inside agave leaves.<\/p>\n
Just one question remained: what to do with the left-over mezcal? \u201cWe held some tasting parties,\u201d says Kawahara. \u201cI\u2019ve become a huge fan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Main image: Bottle of mezcal with \u2018worm\u2019. \u00a9 Esdelval\/Getty<\/em><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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