Epazote, Hoja Santa and the Herbs That Define Mexican Cooking

The secret herbs of Mexican cooking

If Mexican cooking were a song, the chillies would be the melody and the aromatic herbs would be the harmony - those background notes that most people do not consciously notice but that, if missing, make everything sound incomplete. Mexican herbs are the invisible ingredient that separates a dish that "tastes Mexican" from one that tastes of "something with chilli".

While the world knows coriander and oregano, Mexican cooking uses a much wider and more fascinating repertoire of herbs: plants with Nahua names, flavours that do not exist in European cooking and aromas that transport you straight to the markets of Oaxaca, Puebla or Veracruz. Some are easy to find in Spain; others require creativity to substitute.

Epazote: the bean herb

Epazote (Dysphania ambrosioides) is probably the most important herb in Mexican cooking after coriander. Its flavour is hard to describe: minty, petrochemical, slightly bitter, with notes of camphor and aniseed. It sounds strange, and it is - but in the right context, it is irreplaceable.

It is used fundamentally in:

• Black beans: A sprig of epazote cooked with the beans during the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking transforms them completely. As well as flavour, it helps reduce the intestinal wind that pulses produce.
• Quesadillas: Market quesadillas in Mexico City always have a leaf of epazote with the cheese.
• Tamales: Especially rajas with cheese and corn husk ones.
• Mole verde: It adds herbaceous depth to Oaxacan mole verde and to pipián.
• Esquites and elotes: A touch of epazote in esquites is the difference between good and extraordinary.

Finding epazote in Spain

Fresh epazote is extremely rare in Spain. Your options:

• Dried epazote: Found in Mexican shops and on Amazon. It loses some of its aroma but works well in beans and cooked stews. Use twice the amount you would if it were fresh.
• Growing it: Epazote is a hardy plant, almost a weed, that grows well in a pot on a sunny balcony in Spain. The seeds are bought online. It germinates fast and produces abundant leaves.
• Substitute: There is no perfect substitute. The closest is a combination of Mexican oregano + coriander + a pinch of mint. It is not the same, but it adds herbaceous complexity.

Hoja santa: the aniseed of the jungle

Hoja santa (Piper auritum) is a large, heart-shaped, intensely green leaf with a powerful aroma of aniseed, pepper and eucalyptus. It is fundamental in the cooking of Veracruz, Oaxaca, Tabasco and Chiapas. Its flavour is so distinctive that a dish with hoja santa is immediately recognisable.

It is used in:

• Oaxacan mole verde: Hoja santa is one of the main ingredients.
• Hoja santa tamales: The tamales are wrapped directly in the leaf, which adds its aroma during steaming.
• Fish in hoja santa: Fish fillet wrapped in hoja santa and grilled - a classic dish of Veracruz.
• Mole amarillo: In Oaxaca, mole amarillo has chopped hoja santa.
• Hoja santa chocolate: In Tabasco a chocolate drink is made with hoja santa that is extraordinary.

In Spain

Fresh hoja santa is practically impossible to find. The closest substitute is a combination of fresh basil leaves + a few star anise seeds. If you cook with hoja santa frequently, consider growing it - it needs a warm, humid climate, so it works best in a greenhouse or in coastal areas of southern Spain.

Coriander: the herb that divides opinion

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is the most used herb in modern Mexican cooking. It appears in green salsas, guacamole, tacos, ceviches, soups, broths and as a garnish for practically everything. It is fresh, citrusy, vibrant and polarising - about 10% of the world's population has a gene that makes coriander taste of soap to them.

In Spain: It is found easily as "cilantro fresco" in supermarkets, especially Mercadona and Carrefour. It is sometimes sold as "culantro" or "coriandro". Make sure it is the leaf, not the seeds (which are used as a different spice).

Storage tip: Coriander wilts quickly. To make it last longer, put it in a glass with water (like flowers) in the fridge, covered with a plastic bag. It lasts up to 2 weeks like this. You can also freeze it chopped in ice-cube trays with a little water or oil.

Mexican oregano: different from the European

Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens) is NOT the same plant as European oregano (Origanum vulgare). They are from completely different botanical families. The Mexican one is more citrusy, more earthy and less minty than the European. It is used extensively in salsas, adobos, pozole and as a table seasoning (in pozole, dried oregano is sprinkled directly onto the plate).

In Spain: Dried Mexican oregano is found in Mexican shops and on Amazon. If you do not have it, European oregano works as an acceptable substitute - it is not the same but performs a similar function. To get closer, mix European oregano with a pinch of thyme.

Other fascinating Mexican herbs

Pápalo

Pápalo (Porophyllum ruderale) is an intensely flavoured herb - like concentrated coriander with notes of rocket and a citrus touch. It is eaten raw, never cooked, mainly in Puebla cemitas (sandwiches) and as a garnish for tacos. It is the favourite herb of Puebla.

In Spain it is not found. The closest substitute is rocket with a little coriander.

Pipicha

Pipicha (Porophyllum tagetoides) is a cousin of pápalo but with a more delicate flavour - aniseedy, fresh, with notes of tarragon. It is used in raw salsas and as a garnish in Oaxaca and Puebla. It is extremely rare outside Mexico.

Quelites

Quelites is a generic term for several wild edible plants gathered and cooked in Mexico: quintoniles, cenizos, purslane, romeritos. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is the easiest to find in Spain - it grows as a weed in many Spanish gardens and is sold in some markets.

Romeritos

Romeritos (Suaeda nigra) are a wild plant cooked with mole and dried prawn fritters during Christmas and Lent. It is one of the most traditional dishes of Mexico City. In Spain they are not found - the closest alternative is samphire (almajo salado), which grows in saline areas of the Spanish coast.

Chaya

Chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius) is a Mayan superfood with more iron than spinach and more calcium than milk. It is cooked as a vegetable in Yucatán and Tabasco - always cooked, since raw it contains toxic compounds. The substitute: spinach or chard.

Quick substitution guide

• Epazote → Mexican oregano + coriander + pinch of mint
• Hoja santa → Fresh basil + star anise
• Pápalo → Rocket + coriander
• Pipicha → Fresh tarragon + coriander
• Mexican oregano → European oregano + pinch of thyme
• Chaya → Spinach or chard
• Quelites → Purslane, baby spinach or watercress

"Herbs are the soul of Mexican cooking. Without them, you have chilli and corn. With them, you have Mexico."

Discover how to use these herbs in our Mexican recipes and find dried epazote, Mexican oregano and other herbs in our Mexican shops in Spain. Try dishes with authentic herbs in Mexican restaurants that import their ingredients directly.