Izote flower: the edible flower of the Mexican yucca

What is it?

The izote flower is the edible inflorescence of the tree Yucca elephantipes (also classified as Yucca gigantea), an Agavaceae native to Central America and south-eastern Mexico. It flowers mainly between February and April, coinciding with Lent, which makes it a leading vegetal food during Catholic abstinence. Its flowers are white, fleshy, bell-shaped, with soft petals and a slight bitter-sweet flavour reminiscent of artichoke or asparagus. It is consumed mainly in Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Tabasco and parts of Yucatán, where it is prepared battered with egg, in stews with tomato, in tortitas in mole, in tamales, in soups and in revoltijo with romeritos. The Zoque, Ch'ol, Totonac, Zapotec and Mixe peoples consider it a ritual ingredient of Lent and patronal festivities, passing on knowledge about its harvesting and preparation from generation to generation.

Origin and history

The consumption of izote flower has deep pre-Hispanic roots in southern Mesoamerica. CONABIO Enciclovida and the Universidad Veracruzana document its use among the Olmecs, Totonacs, Zoques and Maya as a ritual, ornamental and medicinal food. Fray Bernardino de Sahagún describes in the Florentine Codex several species of palmilla and yucca whose flowers were consumed on the highlands. The flower took on prominence in mestizo cuisine after the colonial Catholic Lent, since its spring flowering coincides with the Catholic fast and vigil. Larousse Cocina and México Desconocido agree that in Chiapas and Oaxaca the izote revoltijo has been prepared since the colonial period, similar to romerito revoltijo but with this flower instead of quintoniles. Gob.mx, through the National Forestry Commission, recognises its harvest as sustainable non-timber forest use, since only the flowers are cut without affecting the plant, which flowers again the following year. In El Salvador it is the national flower and is known as the izote flower.

Characteristic ingredients

Yucca elephantipes is a perennial tree with a thick trunk (elephant foot) that grows up to 9 m, with long, lanceolate and rigid leaves. Its Yucatec name is kii, in Nahuatl iczotl and in Maya kuyché. The flowers appear in erect panicles with hundreds of white bells. For consumption the bitter pistils in the centre are removed, since they contain saponins that produce stomach acidity. The clean flowers are blanched in boiling water with salt, drained and prepared battered with egg and bathed in tomato and chile guajillo sauce; they are also used in izote soup with epazote, in stuffed tamales, in stews with black beans, or as an ingredient in the Oaxacan izote revoltijo. They provide vitamin C, fibre, calcium and antioxidant flavonoids, according to nutritional studies from the Universidad Veracruzana. In contemporary cuisine, chefs such as José Manuel Baños of the Pitiona restaurant (Oaxaca) and Marta Zepeda of Tierra y Cielo (Chiapas) have included izote flower on tasting menus, reinterpreting its traditional preparation with modern techniques.

Cultural significance

The izote flower forms part of the Traditional Mexican Cuisine dossier inscribed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010, particularly linked to the cuisines of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Veracruz. It is an essential element of the Lenten ritual calendar, alongside romeritos, nopales and ahuautle, recalling the importance of vegetarian abstinence in Mexican popular religiosity. For the Zoque and Ch'ol peoples of Chiapas it also represents a symbol of fertility and abundance. Economically, its harvest generates important seasonal income for indigenous communities, with prices peaking during Lent. The Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve (Veracruz) protects ecosystems where it grows wild. Researchers at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) and INAH study its ethnobotanical value and conservation. In El Salvador, where it is the national flower, its culinary use is parallel to the Mexican one, which demonstrates the Mesoamerican cultural unity around this sacred plant of Central America.

Frequently asked questions

What does izote flower taste like?

The izote flower has a bitter-sweet, slightly herbal flavour, reminiscent of young artichoke, tender asparagus and palm heart. The bitterness comes from saponins present in the pistils, which is why these are removed before cooking it. After blanching in boiling water, its profile softens and allows it to be combined with egg, tomato sauce and chilli.

How is izote flower cleaned?

The individual bells are separated from the stem, the bitter pistils in the centre are removed (the filamentous part) and they are rinsed in cold water. They are then blanched 2-3 minutes in boiling water with salt, drained and gently squeezed. This process removes the saponins and prepares the flower to be battered, stewed or incorporated into Lenten revoltijo.

When is izote flower harvested?

The main season runs from February to April, just during Lent, which has culturally linked this flower to the Lenten cuisine of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz and Tabasco. Harvesting is done by cutting the complete panicles with a long pole or a knife. Minor flowering occurs in August and September, depending on the region and the rainy season.

Where does izote flower come from?

Yucca elephantipes is native to Central America and south-eastern Mexico, distributed from Veracruz and Oaxaca to Panama. In Mexico it is traditionally consumed in Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Tabasco and parts of Yucatán by Zoque, Ch'ol, Totonac, Zapotec and Mixe peoples. In El Salvador it is the national flower since 1995 and is cooked in a similar way.