Ixtle

What is ixtle? From the Nahuatl ixtli or ictli, the word refers to the stiff plant fiber used in making rope, brushes, bags, rugs, and more. The fibers come from agave plants or from yucca. In the north, the fibers come from agave lechuguilla; further south they are derived from henequen or sisalana. The fiber products were once used throughout Mexico, but the introduction of plastic has made ixtle less ubiquitous. That said, here is more interest in these natural products now–there has been an increase in production and use as people look for sustainable alternatives to plastic.