A Quest for Epazote

The pungent Mexican herb is hard to find. Even in L.A., you have to know where to look.

By Lorenza Munoz | Wednesday, 12 August 2009 | 10:32

epizote Craving the Pungent Mexican Herb, She Goes Looking at a Farmers Market Near L.A.

My search for epazote, the ancient Mexican herb, begins at the Santa Monica Farmers Market with my friends Antonio and Reyes Rodriguez of Valdivia Farms.

Their stand has been a reliable place in providing large, beautiful bouquets of deep green epazote, an herb that is usually hard to find if you don’t grow it yourself or live near a Vallarta or a Top Value market. Epazote has not yet acquired the status of basil or rosemary as being essential in every cook’s kitchen. Perhaps it is too much of an acquired taste. According to the web encyclopedia Practically Edible, epazote comes from the ancient Aztec language Nahuatl. “Epatl” means “skunk” and “tzotl,” means “sweat.” As you can guess by this name, it has a very pungent taste and smell.

But if any herb brings me back to Mexico, it is epazote, with its singular taste—tangy, rich, complex. As with any herb or ingredient, epazote should bring layers of complexity to a dish—not overpower it. Today, I have a hankering for quesadillas with queso cotija, queso Oaxaca, a Serrano chile and two leaves of epazote. So off I go to the farmers market near Los Angeles to try to find some.

The Rodriguez brothers, however, cannot help me. Too few customers want epazote, they say.

“It’s not a good business,” Reyes says. “Most Americans don’t even know what it is.”

Listening to our conversation as she picks out some meaty heirloom tomatoes is customer Dina Bojorquez, originally from Guatemala. She loves epazote, especially with black beans, but also in a tea. It helps with cramps, she says.

“It must taste really strong to drink it in a tea,” I say.

“Oh, yeah,” she laughs. “Nobody likes it, but with a little honey it goes down well.”

Next, I’m off to herbalist Cheryl Gaines, whose stand, It Began in the Garden, is a happy mélange and reflection of her wide customer base. Her items range from herbs de Provence to jalapeño jellies to Aztec Sweet Herb. She says she loves epazote, especially when its leaves are young.

“I throw it in my salad,” she says.

Gaines began her business a decade ago with eight herbs. Today she sells 160 varieties. She shows me to the Aztec Sweet Herb and estevia—natural sweeteners whose leaves literally coat your mouth in a sugary sweetness. She walks me over to her Ruta (Rue), a plant that her Hispanic friends tell her wards off evil spirits if you plant it next to your kitchen door.

“I don’t know if it’s true, but my ex-husband doesn’t come around anymore, so I am happy,” she says with a smile.

But, alas, she didn’t bring any epazote today.

She says to come back next week.

Next, I wander to Doña Sotera Jaime of Jaime Farms. Now Doña Sotera is originally from Cuernavaca, Morelos, in central Mexico and the region dominated by the Aztecs before the Spanish conquest in the 16^th century. Doña knows her Mexican cooking, herbs and spices. During the winter she carries verdolagas (varies in color but the green plant is similar to the family of kale, spinach and mustard greens), huazontles (indigenous green herb in the epazote family) and even—ROMERITOS! The authority in Mexican food, Diana Kennedy, describes romeritos as “acidy little greens” traditionally made in a mole with shrimp fritters served for Christmas dinner.)

All of those plants are nearly impossible to find in the United States.

But even here, I strike out in my search for epazote.

“I didn’t bring any today,” she laments as she greets her usual customers while weighing a stem of broccoli on the scale. “But when I do have it, I get people who ask me what it is. I tell them they can use it to flavor black beans, chilaquiles, sopa de tortilla, menudo, sopa de papa. Once they use it, they love it.”

Come back next week, she promises.

I make my way to Jimmy Williams of HayGround organic gardening. The hugely popular Jimmy has a beautiful collection of fruit trees, pepper trees, herbs and vegetable plants—anything you want available year round.

Jimmy goes on and on about epazote and how much he loves it. How it kills parasites, cures gas, flavors food and served as a food preservative in the days before refrigeration. He boasts that he grows it year round in his Silver Lake garden because it never gets cold enough to kill it. (For most of us, epazote is a seasonal plant that grows in the spring through the summer and then dies around January. But its seeds repopulate quickly.)

He also maintains he sells a lot of epazote—with a caveat.

“With many of my customers, I go through the big pitch” to persuade them to try these mysterious herbs, he says with a laugh. “I learned what I know from old Mexican ladies.”

But Jimmy too lets me down. No epazote today.

“Come back”—he starts.

“I know, come back next week,” I grumble.

There is one more chance. Coleman Family Farms always has epazote.

Bill Coleman, a sixth-generation Californio whose family originally came from Colima, Mexico, is chewing on a flower stem of bok choy as if it’s a toothpick. He grew up on epazote. His grandmother used to give it to him to ward off intestinal parasites. He says he loves it in caldo rojo or quesadillas.

Ten years ago, few people asked for the stuff at the farmers markets. Today, he claims, “Everybody uses it. The gringos too.”

“So, can I buy some?” I ask.

“Nope,” he shrugs. “I sold out of the 50 bunches I brought. Try next week.”

I guess I won’t have my quesadillas today.

For advice on growing your own epazote, see Zester Daily's Can't Find It? Grow It.

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Comments (4)

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Any simple recipes using epazote?

einar million , August 25, 2009

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In my area (SW Oregon) epazote is a well-mannered member of my perennial herb garden - it disappears early each winter, to slowly emerge again the following summer - it started from seed quite readily, and if allowed, will do the same in your yard - its heritage is of course as a weed, and it is most comfortable reverting to that heritage!

john murren , August 20, 2009

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Epazote along with papalo, pepicha, chipiline and a whole lot of other plants that we don't see in the markets can be found at the Stanford Avalon Community Garden. 7 acres. The guys will give you a little to try and tell you a great story. The garden is in Watts under the power lines, just east of the intersection of 111th place and Avalon Blvd. A really wonderful place!

Glen Dake , August 18, 2009