Hierba mora: wild quelite with edible berries

What is it?

Hierba mora, also known as yerba mora or wild tomatillo, is a traditional quelite of central and southern Mexico belonging to the species Solanum americanum, a plant of the family Solanaceae related to the tomato, jitomate and potato. It grows wild in milpas, wastelands and edges of cultivated fields during the rainy season, especially in Puebla, Tlaxcala, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Chiapas and the State of Mexico. Its tender leaves are eaten cooked as a quelite and its small berries, when ripe and shiny black, are eaten fresh or used in sauces. The plant is one of the few wild solanaceae used as food in Mexico and forms part of the rural agri-food heritage, although its consumption requires knowledge because the green berries and the raw leaves contain toxic alkaloids that are eliminated by cooking.

Origin and history

Hierba mora is a plant of ancient presence in Mesoamerica, mentioned in colonial sources under names such as black quilitl or wild tomatl. Sahagun, in the Florentine Codex, describes several plants of the genus Solanum used by the Nahuas, both as food and as medicine. CONABIO documents its use in numerous indigenous communities of the country since pre-Hispanic times. Its distribution is almost cosmopolitan: it is considered native to tropical and subtropical regions of America, but also grows in Asia and Africa. In traditional Mexican medicine, the UNAM Digital Library records its historical use to treat skin complaints, ulcers and joint pains by means of poultices and baths. After the Conquest, knowledge about which parts to eat was preserved within the oral traditions of rural peoples, avoiding confusion with the toxic solanacea Solanum nigrum strict sense or with other toxic species of the same genus. Today it is considered a minor but significant quelite within the Mesoamerican milpa.

Characteristic ingredients

Solanum americanum is an annual or short-lived perennial herbaceous plant, reaching between 30 and 90 centimetres in height, with alternate oval leaves and small white flowers with yellow anthers arranged in clusters. Its fruits are globose berries that turn from green to shiny black on ripening and measure between five and eight millimetres. The edible parts are the cooked tender leaves and the ripe black berries. It is essential to cook the leaves in plenty of water and discard the first boil, which reduces the alkaloids solanine and solasodine present in the plant. The green berries are toxic and must be avoided; the ripe black ones are safe in small quantities. In Puebla and Tlaxcala cuisine they are prepared in pork stews in tomato sauce, in broths with maize masa and chile guajillo, and in egg-battered fritters. In Oaxaca and Chiapas they are added to moles and memelas. The plant must not be confused with deadly nightshade or with other toxic solanaceae of the countryside.

Cultural significance

Hierba mora forms part of the repertoire of quelites included in the Mexican gastronomic heritage recognised by UNESCO in 2010. It is an example of traditional knowledge about the use of wild plants that distinguishes edible from toxic species, an ancestral knowledge preserved by rural women and healers. In Mexican folk medicine, the plant has been used since pre-Hispanic times in infusions for skin problems, menstrual pains and to reduce inflammation. FAO has highlighted the role of wild edible plants such as hierba mora in the complementary nutrition of rural communities in the global south. In Mexico, its gathering remains a seasonal activity in rural markets such as those of Tlaxco, Cuetzalan, Huauchinango and Tehuacan. Although it does not appear in haute cuisine with the same visibility as other quelites, its presence in Puebla and Oaxacan peasant cooking makes it an element of regional identity and food sovereignty of Nahua, Totonac and Zapotec communities.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between hierba mora and other quelites?

Hierba mora belongs to the family Solanaceae, along with jitomate and potato, while most Mexican quelites are from the families Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae or Portulacaceae. Its distinctive feature is producing edible black berries in addition to tender leaves. It requires more care in its preparation than other quelites because it contains alkaloids that are eliminated by adequate cooking.

What does hierba mora taste like?

The cooked leaves have a mild, earthy and slightly bitter herbal flavour, comparable to that of chard or spinach with a more mineral background. The ripe berries are small, juicy and sweet, with a sour touch reminiscent of a ripe cherry tomato. It combines well with tomato, chile guajillo, garlic, onion and maize masa in traditional highland preparations.

How is hierba mora served?

It is always prepared cooked: the leaves are boiled in salted water, drained and added to tomato and chilli stews, egg-battered fritters, broths with maize masa or memelas. In Oaxaca it is added to green moles and to the sauce of chichilos. The ripe berries are eaten fresh in small quantities or used in traditional sauces and jams in certain areas of Puebla.

Where is hierba mora originally from?

It is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of America, with a wide distribution from the southern United States to Argentina. In Mexico it is found in almost the whole country, with greatest consumption in Puebla, Tlaxcala, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Chiapas and the State of Mexico. It grows wild during the rainy season between the maize and bean crops of the milpa system.