I am not a seasoned chef (pardon the pun) but I most certainly do enjoy trying my hand at new recipes, especially when the weather gets a little cooler around here. Being as I am Canadian living in a very Mayan / Mexican part of the world, I have been learning to cook things from both sides of the local culture. The food here is beyond exquisite and very addictive; simple ingredients bursting with flavor. A few months ago I posted a recipe to a soup I fell in love with at first bite. It was Caldo Tlalpeño and in it is a herb, epazote, that is apparently not very common in other parts of the world.
I have since been asked what the heck is Epazote. Its proper name is Epazote but locally it is referred to as Mexican Tea or Wormseed. Some people say it smells like gasoline. When dried, it has a sweet smell at times, almost like a tea and a little like lemons…but nothing like gasoline, although I can say I don’t think I would drink it just as a tea. It’s a different smell, one I personally find appealing, but then I love food. It does not add a lot of flavor to a dish however, but I add it all the same. It is use more as a digestive aid than anything. It is commonly found in high-fiber dishes such as beans.
Epazote is a herb native to this part of the world. It can be found in warmer climates such as Mexico, South America and even Europe. It is used in Mexican cooking but is also valued for its medicinal purposes. It has been used to treat a variety of stomach aliments, as well as congested sinuses, asthma and malaria. In the essential oil form, it has been used to kill intestinal worms in both humans as well as animals, hence one of its common references, wormseed.
The word epazote means skunk sweat in Nahuatl. The raw plant has a taste that resembles fennel or anise, but much stronger. Epazote is a main ingredient in mole verde.
Image via Wikipedia
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