Chenopodium nuttalliae (syn : C.berlandieri) “hairy amaranth” – from the Nahuatl huauhtli ‘amaranth’ and tzontli ‘hair’ According to a Mexican government website (1) the cultivation of huauzontle was prohibited by the Spanish, along with amaranth (2), due to its use in religious rites linked to human sacrifice. Huauzontles are a highly nutritious plant from the Chenopodium or “Goosefoot” family. Other plants in this family include … Continue reading Quelite : Huauzontle
syn T.aphrodisiaca (although there are claims that these are two different plants) Also called : Hierba del pastor, shepherds herb, Hierba del venado, damiana de California (or Guerrero), mizib-coc (misibcoc, misib-cooc, xmisibcoc, miixcoc)(Maya) This herb is native to Mexico, southern Texas, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. In Mexico it is used to flavour liqueurs for an aphrodisiac effect. In 1699 Father Juan Maria … Continue reading Damiana : Turnera diffusa
Plantago major also called : lanté (Chiapas), lanten, llantén, rorogochi (Raramuri)Common names : white man’s foot (because everywhere the white man walks it springs up in their footsteps), common plantain, waybread Family : PlantaginaceaeParts used : leaves – aerial parts, seeds Constituents : Leaves – mucilage, glycosides (aucubin), tannins, chlorogenic acid, ursolic acid, silicic acid, mineralsSeeds – mucilage, oils, protein, starch Plantain has been cited … Continue reading Quelite : Plantain
Chenopod – from Ancient Greek χήν (khḗn, “goose”) + πούς (poús, “foot”) One of the most tenacious, hardy and useful species of wild herb is the Chenopodium. The use of this family of plants has a long history. Archaeological finds suggest that some chenopods, such as fat hen, were not only collected from the wild but may in fact have been cultivated as far back … Continue reading Chenopodiums
The porophyllum species continues to surprise. I have recently come across an organic seed seller in Florida who is selling a plant they call Yerba porosa. Yerba porosa is a common name that frequently refers to P.ruderale and translates to “porous herb” (grass) in reference to the oil filled glands (or pores) that give this herb its distinctive flavour profile. The variety of this plant … Continue reading Yerba Porosa : (Unknown Porophyllum)
Tagetes erecta (syn Caryophyllus Indicus)Also known as : Flor de muerto, African marigold, Cempoalxόchitl (Nahuatl name “twenty flower”, from cempohualli – twenty and xochitl – flower), cempasuchitl, zempasuchitl, apátsicua (purépecha and tarasco), caxiyhuitz (huasteco), guie’biguá, guie’coba, picoa and quiepi-goa (zapoteco), kalhpu’xa’m (totonaco), Ita-Cuaan (Mixtec), Jondri (Otomí), Genda phool, Genda (Hindi, Bengali), Chenduhoovu, Chendu huva (Kannada), Ghenda (Marathi), Galaghoto (Gujarati), Chendu malli (Malayalam), Banti Puvuu (Telgu), … Continue reading Cempasúchil
Amongst the spices introduced to Mexico with the Spanish was the seed of an umbelliferous plant in the Apiaceae family (1) known as Cumin (Cuminum cyminum). Cumin was very popular in ancient Rome and containers of it were kept on the dinner table much like pepper is today. Cumin is native to an area of the Eastern Mediterranean known as the Levant. The term Levant originally meant “the … Continue reading Cumin
Chenopodium ambrosiodes (Synonyms: Teloxys ambrosioides, Dysphania ambrosioides) Epazōtl : from Nahuatl, epatl – skunk and tzotl – sweat (1). I have seen this translation noted as being “epatli = skunk; zotli = grass”. There’s no confusion re skunk but I think there may have been over “zotli = grass”. The Nahuatl word for grass is zacatl (zacate en Español). There is a Nahuatl word “tzontli” … Continue reading Quelite : Epazote
also called, quelite de venado, lapandzi, lapantsi, átlapántsin, aclapanchis, papalo de cerro, papalo criollo Jesús Hoyos Hernández on his blog (1) speaks of this herb. It is not very well known and can be confused with papalo as it is similar in appearance although, according to Jesús, its aroma and taste is very different. This plant has previously been identified as P.punctatum but P.pringlei, P.ruderale, P.nutans (2) and P.calcicola have … Continue reading Quelite : Tlapanche
(Syn: P.eremophilum, P.oblanceolatum, Kleinia linifolia) also called Catinga-de-urubu, curupaimi, kilkina, quirquina, matapulgas (literal translation “killing insects”), yerba de la gama, ruda blanca, cominillo, yerba del venado, yerba del ciervo. Another of the less well known species of porophyllum. Found south of Brazil into Paraguay and the north east of Argentina there is very little information to be found on this particular variety of pore leaf. … Continue reading Quelite : Porophyllum obscurum
Masa Americana 