BellaOnline Forums Food and Wine Mexican Food The herbs of Mexico - Epazote

Epazote grows wild in Mexico and spread from there across America and eventually to southern Europe and beyond, but outside its homeland, it is seen as a weed rather than a culinary herb � only in central and southern Mexico does it play an essential role and find its way into the cooking pot. It is easy to grow but in my experience it requires plenty of hot sun to bring out its very specific characteristics. Has anybody had success in growing it?

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I bought epazote years ago, but was wary about using it. After reading your article, I would love to try it!

When my wife and her family were living in Western Central Mexico her mother (now often referred to as "el generalisimo" by her grown children), a fastidious selector of ingredients (among everything else!)and an excellent cook would make black beans and also sometimes pinto beans and add epazote to them.

Epazote and beans certainly seem to be a very natural alliance - I always add a teaspoon of dried epazote when I am cooking any kind of bean, it adds an elusive but very addictive flavour and makes them considerably more digestible!