What is the difference between chaya and spinach?

Although chaya is known as 'Maya spinach', they are botanically distinct plants. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is native to Asia, an annual herbaceous plant of the Amaranthaceae family. Chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius) is a Mesoamerican perennial shrub of the Euphorbiaceae family. Chaya has a richer nutritional profile than spinach and, unlike it, must always be cooked before eating.

What does chaya taste like?

It has a mild vegetal and earthy flavour, similar to a more intense spinach with notes of broccoli and mature leafy greens. Cooked, it is tender, slightly creamy and very aromatic. It pairs especially well with achiote, lime, egg, black beans, fresh cheese and Yucatecan spices. In fresh water with lime and sugar it is refreshing and revealing, with a characteristic vegetal sweetness.

It is ALWAYS cooked before eating (at least 5 minutes) to inactivate the cyanogenic glycosides. It is boiled, sauteed with onion, garlic and achiote, incorporated into tamales (brazo de reina, dzotobichay), into soups, into scrambled eggs with chaya, and into tacos with cheese. Chaya water is prepared by briefly boiling the leaves, blending them with water, lime and sugar. It is never eaten raw.

Where does chaya come from?

Chaya is native to Mesoamerica, particularly the Yucatan Peninsula and tropical areas of Central America. It was domesticated by the ancient Maya since pre-Hispanic times and its name comes from the Yucatec Maya 'chay'. Today it is grown mainly in Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo, as well as Tabasco, Chiapas and Central American countries where it forms part of the Maya and mestizo family garden.

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Chaya: the Maya spinach of Yucatan

What is it?

Chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius), known as 'Maya spinach', is a Mesoamerican shrubby plant whose large dark green lobed leaves are eaten cooked as an essential nutritious vegetable. It belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family and grows in the Yucatan Peninsula: Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo, where it is grown in courtyards, backyards and Maya family gardens. It is also found in Tabasco, Chiapas and tropical areas of Central America. Its leaves have a mild earthy flavour similar to spinach with notes of intense leafy greens. It is a key ingredient of Yucatecan dishes: eggs with chaya, chaya water with lime, chaya tamales with beans, chaya soup, brazo de reina, chaya with egg (a traditional breakfast) and the famous Yucatecan chaya tacos. Its exceptional nutritional profile makes it one of the most studied pre-Hispanic superfoods of Mexico.

Origin and history

Chaya has a Mesoamerican origin and was domesticated by the Maya peoples since pre-Hispanic times. Its name comes from the Yucatec Maya 'chay' or 'chaya', and it was a fundamental part of the traditional Maya solar plot alongside achiote, jicama, chayote and other crops of the family garden. The ancient Maya considered it a sacred food and ate it daily; the codices and colonial chronicles record its use. Cnidoscolus aconitifolius belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family, the same as cassava, and its domestication led to the selection of varieties without spines (chaya mansa) which are easier to handle than the wild form with stinging trichomes. The UNAM Digital Library of Mexican Traditional Medicine documents its medicinal uses: treatment of diabetes, circulatory problems, anaemia and kidney stones. Larousse Cocina lists it as an essential herb of the Yucatecan repertoire. Recent studies by institutions such as the UADY have confirmed its exceptional nutritional value, positioning it as one of the most complete vegetables of Mexico.

Characteristic ingredients

Chaya is a perennial shrub 2 to 6 metres tall, with succulent green stems, large palmate leaves with 5 deep dark green lobes and small white flowers in terminal cymes. There are two main varieties: chaya mansa (without spines, easier to handle, the most cultivated) and chaya brava (with stinging trichomes on leaves and stems). The raw leaves contain small amounts of cyanogenic glycosides that release hydrocyanic acid, so they should ALWAYS be cooked for at least 5 minutes before eating to inactivate these compounds. Once cooked they are completely safe. Their nutritional profile is exceptional: plant proteins, calcium (more than spinach), iron, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, fibre and antioxidants. They are eaten boiled, sauteed with onion and achiote, in tamales, in soups, in fresh waters blended with pineapple or lime, as filling in brazo de reina (the large Yucatecan tamale), and in tortas with egg. Its nutritional profile surpasses that of spinach, broccoli and many other leafy vegetables.

Cultural significance

Chaya is one of the most vivid symbols of contemporary Maya Yucatecan cooking. It is part of the everyday repertoire of Yucatecan households and appears in some of the most emblematic dishes of the state: brazo de reina (a large tamale of chaya with pumpkin seed and boiled egg), chaya escabeche, eggs with chaya, dzotobichay (a small tamale with dough, chaya and pumpkin seed), chaya tacos with cheese, and the famous chaya water with lime sold in fondas and restaurants. SADER recognises chaya as a priority crop for nutritional diversification and the conservation of Maya biocultural heritage. The Autonomous University of Yucatan (UADY) and other institutions have carried out research into its hypoglycaemic and nutritional properties. It forms part of traditional Mexican cuisine declared Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010, with emphasis on Yucatecan cuisine. Its consumption preserves a fundamental cultural value for Maya communities and a health value recognised by contemporary medicine. Chaya is also a symbol of Maya food sustainability.

Related recipes

Now that you know what it is, try cooking it at home with our step-by-step recipes:

Chaya con Huevo (Scrambled Eggs with Chaya Leaf — Yucatecan Breakfast)

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between chaya and spinach?: Although chaya is known as 'Maya spinach', they are botanically distinct plants. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is native to Asia, an annual herbaceous plant of the Amaranthaceae family. Chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius) is a Mesoamerican perennial shrub of the Euphorbiaceae family. Chaya has a richer nutritional profile than spinach and, unlike it, must always be cooked before eating.
What does chaya taste like?: It has a mild vegetal and earthy flavour, similar to a more intense spinach with notes of broccoli and mature leafy greens. Cooked, it is tender, slightly creamy and very aromatic. It pairs especially well with achiote, lime, egg, black beans, fresh cheese and Yucatecan spices. In fresh water with lime and sugar it is refreshing and revealing, with a characteristic vegetal sweetness.
How is chaya cooked?: It is ALWAYS cooked before eating (at least 5 minutes) to inactivate the cyanogenic glycosides. It is boiled, sauteed with onion, garlic and achiote, incorporated into tamales (brazo de reina, dzotobichay), into soups, into scrambled eggs with chaya, and into tacos with cheese. Chaya water is prepared by briefly boiling the leaves, blending them with water, lime and sugar. It is never eaten raw.
Where does chaya come from?: Chaya is native to Mesoamerica, particularly the Yucatan Peninsula and tropical areas of Central America. It was domesticated by the ancient Maya since pre-Hispanic times and its name comes from the Yucatec Maya 'chay'. Today it is grown mainly in Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo, as well as Tabasco, Chiapas and Central American countries where it forms part of the Maya and mestizo family garden.