While agave (pronounced ah-GAH-vay) is best recognized as the plant from which tequila is made, it has also been used for thousands of years as an ingredient in food. The nectar made from the plant is known in Mexico as aguamiel, or "honey water."
The Aztecs prized the agave as a gift from the gods and used the liquid from its core to flavour foods and drinks. Now, due to increasing awareness of agave nectar's many beneficial properties, it is becoming the preferred sweetener of health conscious consumers, doctors, and natural foods cooks alike.
(It should be noted that many of the early proponents of agave have become disenchanted because it's heated past the magic temperature during processing and is thus no longer 'raw'. Oh well . . . )
http://www.allaboutagave.com/