Colorín flower: what it is, how to cook it and its season

What is it?

The colorín flower, also called gualumbo, equimite, pemuche or pito in different regions of Mexico, is the edible red inflorescence of the tree Erythrina americana, a legume of the family Fabaceae native to Mesoamerica. It flowers between February and April, coinciding with Lent, which makes it a ritual food of Catholic abstinence in states such as Puebla, Tlaxcala, the State of Mexico, Veracruz, Morelos, Hidalgo and Oaxaca. Its tubular flowers, 4-5 cm long and a bright carmine red, are fleshy but contain toxic alkaloids in their pistil and seed, so they require careful cleaning before being eaten. They are traditionally prepared battered with egg and bathed in tomato salsa, in fritters with beans, in Lenten revoltijo, in soups with coriander and in stews with maize masa. The Nahua, Otomí and Totonac peoples call them gualumbos in Nahuatl, kuyche'e in Maya or pemuche in the Huastec regions.

Origin and history

The consumption of the colorín flower is documented among Mesoamerican cultures from the Postclassic period. Friar Bernardino de Sahagún, in the Florentine Codex, describes the equimitl tree and its red flowers used as a ritual offering to Xochipilli, god of flowers and agriculture. Francisco Hernández, in his Natural History of New Spain (1577), records the medicinal and dietary use of the flower of the tzompantli or equimite. Mestizo cooking integrated it strongly into the Lenten recipe book: in towns of the Central Highlands, gualumbo fritters in salsa are an emblematic dish of Holy Wednesday and Good Friday. CONABIO's Enciclovida documents its distribution from the Bajío to south-eastern Mexico. The UNAM's Digital Library of Mexican Traditional Medicine warns of the toxicity of the seeds, which contain curare-like alkaloids used ritually in low doses as anxiolytics. The flower consumed without its pistil presents no significant toxicity, but the plant is still known as the devil's tree in some regions for its effects in high doses.

Characteristic ingredients

Erythrina americana is a deciduous tree up to 12 m tall that loses its foliage in winter and flowers before the leaves appear, displaying spectacular red clusters. It belongs to the family Fabaceae along with the bean and the peanut, and produces pods with toxic red-orange seeds. For consumption the clusters are cut at the start of flowering, the flowers are separated and the pistils and stamens are removed (which contain erythrina and other alkaloids), keeping only the fleshy red petals. They are blanched in boiling water with salt and bicarbonate, rinsed and squeezed. They are then battered with egg white beaten to stiff peaks and yolk, fried in hot oil to form fritters that are bathed in a tomato salsa with guajillo chilli, garlic and onion. Other uses include revoltijo, soups with epazote and tamal fillings. They provide vitamin C, iron and plant antioxidants. In Puebla and Tlaxcala, gualumbo fritters are prepared in pasilla chilli salsa, while in Veracruz they are included in empanadas and soups with masa.

Cultural significance

The colorín flower is one of the most emblematic vegetable ingredients of the dossier of Traditional Mexican Cuisine inscribed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010, particularly linked to the Lenten cooking of the Central Highlands. It forms part of the Lenten Ritual Calendar alongside romeritos, ahuautle, nopales and izote flower, upholding the importance of ritual plant cooking in Mexican culinary identity. Its gathering generates seasonal income for Nahua and Otomí communities of Puebla and Tlaxcala, especially in markets such as Atlixco, Cholula, Tlaxcala city and Apizaco. Gastronomic festivals such as the Lent Fair in Acatzingo (Puebla) celebrate its traditional use. SADER has promoted the sustainable use of the colorín as a non-timber forest resource. Researchers from the IPN and INECOL study its alkaloids for potential pharmaceutical use, without affecting its traditional food use. Restaurants such as Mesones Sacristía in Puebla and Sud 777 include colorín fritters on Lenten seasonal menus.

Frequently asked questions

What does the colorín flower taste like?

The colorín flower has a slightly sweet and delicate flavour, with vegetal notes similar to spinach or green beans. Its texture when cooked is soft and fleshy. Battered with egg and bathed in tomato salsa, the flavour of the flower is balanced by the sweetness of the tomato, the acidity of the guajillo chilli and the herbal touch of coriander or epazote.

How is the colorín flower cleaned?

The flowers are separated from the cluster, the pistil (long central filament) and the stamens (short filaments) are carefully removed, since they contain toxic alkaloids. Only the fleshy red petals are kept. They are blanched for 3-5 minutes in boiling water with salt and a pinch of bicarbonate, drained and squeezed to remove bitterness and traces of toxins.

Is the colorín flower safe?

Yes, provided it is cleaned correctly by removing the pistils, stamens and seeds, which contain curare-like alkaloids. Only the red petals are safe. The seeds (little red colorín beans) are toxic and must not be eaten. The blanching and squeezing process removes residual bitter substances, leaving a harmless and nutritious flower with vitamin C and iron.

Where does the colorín flower come from?

Erythrina americana is native to Mesoamerica, distributed from the Bajío and the Sierra Madre Oriental to Chiapas and Guatemala. In Mexico it is traditionally consumed in Puebla, Tlaxcala, the State of Mexico, Veracruz, Hidalgo, Morelos and Oaxaca, especially among the Nahua, Otomí and Totonac peoples during Lent. It is also known as gualumbo, pemuche, pito and equimite depending on the region.