Informal sale of pulque as a social reproduction strategy. Evidence from central Mexico

Abstract

Pulque is an ancestral alcoholic beverage that is sold informally in the street markets of central Mexico. The objective was to analyze the social reproduction dynamics of ancestral food producers in the context of marginal trade. A qualitative and exploratory case study was conducted. The findings indicate that the drink’s permanence is linked to the deployment of marketing strategies, built from the conditions of the environment and the social capital available to sellers. These strategies constitute adaptation devices that allow the historical permanence of ancestral foods such as pulque.