Chivitos: tender quelite of the Bajio

What is it?

Chivitos are a seasonal traditional quelite of the Mexican Bajio, especially of Guanajuato, Michoacan and Queretaro, belonging to the species Calandrinia micrantha, a small herbaceous plant of the family Montiaceae (formerly Portulacaceae). They are given this name because of their small, fleshy and tender leaves which recall in miniature other edible herbs. They grow wild at the beginning of the rainy season, generally between March and June, on open ground, milpas and grasslands of the central-western highlands. They are prized for their succulent texture and their mild, slightly acidic and refreshing flavour. They are eaten fresh or lightly cooked in tacos, gorditas, soups, salads, scrambled eggs and rural stews. Although their consumption is local and little-known outside the Bajio, chivitos form part of the rich inventory of Mexican quelites and are an emblem of the seasonal use of wild plants in peasant cuisine.

Origin and history

Chivitos belong to the wide repertoire of wild quelites used since pre-Hispanic times in central and western Mexico. Although their current name comes from Spanish, their culinary use is heir to Mesoamerican agri-food traditions earlier than the Conquest, when the Otomi, Purepecha and Chichimec peoples of the Bajio region gathered various edible herbs in their fields. The genus Calandrinia has a wide distribution in America and Australia, with several species used as food by indigenous peoples from Chile to the southern United States. CONABIO documents Calandrinia micrantha as a plant native to Mexico, widely distributed in the highlands. Local sources such as the ethnobotanical compilations of the University of Guanajuato and the Colegio de Michoacan have recorded the historical use of chivitos in rural communities of the Bajio. Their gathering is a practice that has survived agricultural modernisation thanks to their persistence in milpas and family vegetable plots, where they are still considered a springtime delicacy.

Characteristic ingredients

Calandrinia micrantha is a small annual herbaceous plant, rarely exceeding 20 centimetres in height, with creeping or ascending stems and alternate small, succulent, lance-shaped leaves. Its flowers are tiny and pink or white in colour, with only a few millimetres in diameter. The edible parts are the tender leaves, the young stems and, occasionally, the flowering tips. The texture is succulent and slightly mucilaginous when cooked, with a juiciness similar to that of purslane, a close botanical relative. In Guanajuato they are prepared in soup with maize masa, garlic and chile guajillo, or sauteed with onion and tomato to accompany meats. In Michoacan they are added to blue-maize gorditas and scrambled eggs. They are also eaten fresh in salads and as a taco filling alongside fresh cheese. The optimal gathering period is short, which gives them the character of a seasonal delicacy.

Cultural significance

Chivitos are a symbol of the rural cuisine of the Bajio and of the seasonal use of Mexican food biodiversity. Although they do not feature among the most nationally recognised quelites, in Guanajuato and Michoacan they are an esteemed culinary tradition, especially in rural markets such as those of San Miguel de Allende, Salvatierra, Patzcuaro or Acambaro during the spring. As part of the set of Mexican quelites, they are inscribed in the spirit of the dossier of traditional Mexican cuisine recognised in 2010 by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Their gathering is a complementary activity of peasant women and market vendors who keep alive the ethnobotanical knowledge transmitted orally. Ethnoecological research by INAH and academic centres of the Bajio underlines the role of chivitos in diet diversification and in cultural connection with the traditional milpa. Contemporary cuisine of central Mexico has begun to incorporate them in signature restaurants.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between chivitos and verdolagas?

Although they belong to close botanical families, chivitos (Calandrinia micrantha) are smaller, with finer leaves and stems, and are gathered in spring in the Bajio. Verdolagas (Portulaca oleracea) have fleshier and more rounded leaves, are distributed throughout the country and produce a more mucilaginous texture when cooked. The flavour of chivitos is milder and more delicate than that of purslane.

What do chivitos taste like?

They have a mild, fresh and vegetal flavour, slightly acidic and with a subtle sweet background. The texture is succulent and juicy, similar to that of purslane but finer. They are neither bitter nor spicy. They combine well with tomato, chile guajillo, garlic, onion, fresh cheese and maize masa in traditional Bajio preparations.

How are chivitos served?

They are prepared in soup with maize masa, garlic and chile guajillo, sauteed with onion and tomato, in blue-maize gorditas, in scrambled eggs or as a taco filling with fresh cheese. They are also eaten raw in salads, thanks to their succulent texture. In the rural cuisine of the Bajio they often accompany pork and poultry stews.

Where are chivitos originally from?

They are native to central-western Mexico, mainly the Bajio, where they grow wild in milpas, grasslands and family vegetable plots. Their main areas of consumption are Guanajuato, Michoacan, Queretaro and parts of Jalisco. The genus Calandrinia is native to America with presence from the southwestern United States to Chile. They appear at the beginning of the rainy season, between March and June.