Cover image : Porophyllum ruderale in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia where it is being investigated as a potential declared weed. Before we can purchase it at the mercado it needs to be harvested; and boy howdy is it harvested (1). Papalo is one of few native Mexican herbs that retained its popularity in the face of imported plants (this will come up a little later when … Continue reading Papalo at the Mercado
I have previously Posted on the use of Latin binomial nomenclature or the “two name” system of classifying plants as being vitally important in regards to the positive identification of a specific plant. This is particularly relevant if you are taking the plant internally either as a medicine or a food. One plant may have a plethora of common names (as is demonstrated below) or … Continue reading Papalo – A Lexicon of Local Names
Papalo is a herb that falls under the designation of “quelite” (1). Quelites are (usually) wild herbs that are allowed to grow if they spontaneously sprout within the milpa or are collected from the wild. The term quelite is not limited to leafy herbs but also encompasses the flowers (2), roots (3), vines, stems (4) and seeds (5) of various plants (including trees)(6). Some quelites … Continue reading Papalo, Guerrero, and the Cemita Poblana.
One of the first times I came across this herb it was mentioned that it could be found in taquerias. Small bouquets of this quelite could be found on your table and you just pluck what you need and add it to your taco (1). This was said to be more common in el D.F. (2) and was considered to be more of a habit … Continue reading Papalo at the Taqueria
As a chef I have amassed a collection of books regarding the cuisines of many cultures. The largest section of my collection is by far the books on México (and México adjacent) cuisine. This is a small journey through the library of my mind. This was the book that fundamentally changed my understanding of Mexican cuisine and cookery. This book also introduced me to the … Continue reading Books along the way
Whaaaaa??? Papalo in mezcal?? Have I died and gone to heaven? I do have some questions though. Well, only one really. Who is the genius that came up with this one? OK, OK, I do have a second question. Pechuga or abocado? Now a pechuga starts with a double distilled mezcal which is then distilled a third time. In this third distillation any number of … Continue reading Mezcal con papalo
I dedicated this Post to my cilantro loving friend (heh heh) NS Continue reading Cilantro (1). Have your genetics failed you?? (2)
Porophyllum ruderale is used as both a culinary (1) and medicinal herb in its place of origin (2). It has unfortunately suffered from its association with the indigenous peoples of México and like many of these plants has been replaced by imported herbs due to this association (3). This is also noted by the author of the study we are now looking at who states … Continue reading Porophyllum ruderale : A Medical Study
Welcome to my 200th Post. My initial reason for starting this Blog began with a single herb; Papaloquelite. I first came across this herb when I was searching for cilantro substitutions and it was a book by a German chef (Christian Teubner) that introduced me to the first in this family, Quillquina (Porophyllum ruderale) (1). Richters Herbs in Canada has been growing and selling herbs … Continue reading Ayauhtona. Another Poreleaf?
*See Post : Papaloquelite : What’s in a name? Why “butterfly” herb? papalotl.Principal English Translation:a butterfly (see Molina and Karttunen); also, a person’s name (attested as male and possibly female) Alonso de Molina:papalotl. mariposa.Alonso de Molina, Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana, 1571, part 2, Nahuatl to Spanish, f. 79v. col. 2. Thanks to Joe Campbell for providing the transcription. Frances … Continue reading Papaloquelite : The Butterfly Herb* (salsa recipe included)
Masa Americana 