Chivitos: what they are, taste and how they're eaten

What is it?

Chivitos are a seasonal quelite traditional to the Mexican Bajío, especially Guanajuato, Michoacán and Querétaro, belonging to the species Calandrinia micrantha, a small herbaceous plant of the Montiaceae family (formerly Portulacaceae). They get this name from their small, fleshy, tender leaves that resemble in miniature other edible herbs. They grow wild at the beginning of the rainy season, generally between March and June, in open land, 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 Bajío, 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 broad repertoire of wild quelites used since pre-Hispanic times in central and western Mexico. Although their present name comes from Spanish, their culinary use is an heir of Mesoamerican agri-food traditions prior to the conquest, when the Otomí, Purépecha and Chichimec peoples of the Bajío region gathered various edible herbs in their planting lands. 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 Michoacán have recorded the historical use of chivitos in rural communities of the Bajío. Their gathering is a practice that has survived agricultural modernisation thanks to their persistence in milpas and family gardens, where they are still considered a spring delicacy.

Characteristic ingredients

Calandrinia micrantha is a small annual herbaceous plant, rarely exceeding 20 centimetres in height, with creeping or ascending stems and small, succulent, lanceolate alternate leaves. Its flowers are tiny and pink or white, barely 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 guajillo chilli, or sautéed with onion and tomato to accompany meats. In Michoacán they are incorporated into blue-maize gorditas and scrambled eggs. They are also eaten fresh in salads and as a taco filling along with 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 Bajío and of the seasonal use of Mexican food biodiversity. Although they are not among the most recognised quelites at the national level, in Guanajuato and Michoacán they are an esteemed culinary tradition, especially in rural markets such as those of San Miguel de Allende, Salvatierra, Pátzcuaro or Acámbaro 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 orally transmitted ethnobotanical knowledge. Ethnoecological research by the INAH and academic centres of the Bajío highlights the role of chivitos in diversifying the diet and in the cultural connection with the traditional milpa. Contemporary cuisine of central Mexico has begun to incorporate them in signature cuisine restaurants.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between chivitos and purslane?

Although they belong to closely related botanical families, chivitos (Calandrinia micrantha) are smaller, with finer leaves and stems, and are gathered in spring in the Bajío. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) has fleshier, more rounded leaves, is distributed throughout the country and produces 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 undertone. The texture is succulent and juicy, similar to that of purslane but finer. They are neither bitter nor spicy. They combine well with tomato, guajillo chilli, garlic, onion, fresh cheese and maize masa in traditional Bajío preparations.

How are chivitos served?

They are prepared in soup with maize masa, garlic and guajillo chilli, sautéed 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 Bajío they usually accompany pork or poultry stews.

Where do chivitos come from?

They are native to central-western Mexico, mainly the Bajío, where they grow wild in milpas, grasslands and family gardens. Their main areas of consumption are Guanajuato, Michoacán, Querétaro and parts of Jalisco. The genus Calandrinia is native to America with a presence from the south-western United States to Chile. They appear at the start of the rainy season, between March and June.