jimadores

Jimadores are skilled agricultural laborers who harvest agave plants for mezcal, tequila, and other agave spirits. They select mature plants, determine the right time to harvest based on size, leaf color, and sap, and cut away the long leaves to expose the piña, the heart of the plant. The piñas are then transported to distilleries for cooking and fermentation.

The principal tool of a jimador is the coa, a curved blade mounted on a long wooden handle. With the coa, the jimador trims the agave’s spiky leaves in a circular pattern to produce a clean, pineapple-shaped piña. This work requires precision and experience to avoid damaging the piña or injuring the worker. In many settings, jimadores also manage the logistics of gathering and bundling harvests for transport.

Jimadores are most closely associated with mezcal production in Oaxaca, where traditional, small-scale operations rely on hand-harvested agave, as well as with tequila-producing regions around Jalisco and neighboring states. Training is often passed down through generations or apprenticeships, emphasizing species identification, ripeness assessment, and safe handling of sharp tools. Wages are frequently piece-based or seasonal, and the work can be physically demanding and risky due to heavy piñas, uneven terrain, and sharp blades.

In contemporary production, some larger operations deploy mechanized harvesters, but many producers, particularly in mezcal, continue to rely on licensed jimadores to preserve traditional methods and product quality.