What is the difference between criollo avocado leaves and Hass avocado leaves?

Only the leaves of the criollo or Mexican-race avocado (Persea americana var. drymifolia) have the culinary anise aroma; when crushed they clearly smell of anise. The leaves of the Hass avocado (a hybrid Guatemalan-Mexican race) and of Antillean races do not produce this aroma and are not suitable as a seasoning. For culinary use the criollo avocado must be identified, which is common in rural markets.

What do avocado leaves taste like?

They have an aromatic anise flavour with notes of fennel, gentle liquorice and white pepper. When toasted or cooked, the aroma concentrates and brings a very Mexican perfume to beans, moles and wrapped meats. They are not spicy or bitter, but rather sweet and aromatic. They are somewhat similar to bay leaf but with the particular anise dimension of estragole.

How are avocado leaves used in cooking?

Fresh or dried, whole or toasted and ground. 2-3 leaves are added to a pot of black beans to flavour them; they are used to wrap mixiotes, tamales and barbacoa; they are added to moles, salsas borrachas and broths. It is common to toast them briefly on a comal before use to bring out the aroma. They keep dried in an airtight jar for months without losing fragrance.

Where do avocado leaves come from?

They are from the Mexican criollo avocado (Persea americana var. drymifolia), native to Mexico and Guatemala. Sahagún documented the ahuacatl in the Florentine Codex. Archaeological remains in Puebla date from more than 9,000 years ago. Today they are used in Michoacan, the State of Mexico, Puebla, Oaxaca, Guerrero and Hidalgo, where criollo trees are preserved in traditional gardens.

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Avocado leaves: a Mexican aromatic seasoning

What is it?

Avocado leaves are a pre-Hispanic aromatic seasoning of Mexican cuisine, taken from the Persea americana tree, particularly the Mexican criollo variety. They are lance-shaped, glossy dark green and have a characteristic anise aroma with notes of fennel and pepper. They are used fresh or dried, whole or toasted and ground, in many dishes from the cooking of central and southern Mexico: black and refried beans, mixiotes, mole de olla, barbacoa, salsa borracha, ayocotes, escamoles, chiles en nogada and various country stews. Their use is particularly rooted in Michoacan, the State of Mexico, Puebla, Oaxaca, Guerrero and Hidalgo, where they bring an aromatic profile that recalls anise without being identical. They are one of the few herbs of the Mexican repertoire whose aroma is immediately recognisable.

Origin and history

Avocado leaves have a pre-Hispanic origin and were used by Nahuas, Purepechas, Mixtecs and other Mesoamerican peoples from time immemorial. Fray Bernardino de Sahagún documented the avocado ('ahuacatl' in Nahuatl) in the Florentine Codex, and pre-Hispanic peoples used both the fruit and the leaves for culinary and medicinal purposes. The avocado is native to Mexico and Guatemala, particularly the state of Puebla, where archaeological remains over 9,000 years old have been found. The species Persea americana var. drymifolia (the Mexican or criollo race) is the one that produces leaves with the characteristic anise aroma; other races (Guatemalan, Antillean) do not share this property. CONABIO documents the importance of the Mexican criollo avocado as a key phytogenetic resource. Larousse Cocina lists avocado leaves as an essential seasoning of the traditional repertoire. It is one of the integral uses of the tree that best expresses the pre-Hispanic practice of making use of every part of the plant.

Characteristic ingredients

Avocado leaves come exclusively from the Mexican or criollo race (Persea americana var. drymifolia), recognisable because when crushed they release an intense anise aroma. The leaves of Hass avocado or of Guatemalan and Antillean races do not produce the same aroma and are not suitable as a traditional seasoning. They contain an essential oil rich in estragole (or methylchavicol), responsible for the anise aroma, together with eugenol and other terpene compounds. They also provide flavonoids and antioxidants. They are used fresh to wrap tamales and mixiotes; dried and toasted, they are ground or used whole to perfume beans, broths and moles. Toasting on a comal before use intensifies the aroma. Although estragole has been flagged as potentially toxic in high concentrations, the amounts used in traditional cooking (2-3 leaves per pot) are within safe levels for occasional consumption. For beans they are added whole during cooking; for barbacoa and mixiotes they are used to wrap and aromatise the meat during steaming.

Cultural significance

Avocado leaves are an essential element of the aroma of central and southern Mexican cooking. They define the flavour of Oaxacan refried beans and of many country stews. The traditional pit barbacoa of Hidalgo, the State of Mexico and Tlaxcala is aromatised with avocado leaves alongside maguey and other herbs. In Oaxaca they are essential in moles, tlayudas (beneath the comal), black beans and broths. In Michoacan cooking, particularly in the Purepecha region, they are used in ayocotes, churipo and tatemados. They are part of the traditional Mexican cuisines declared Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010, which acknowledges the integral use of the avocado tree as a pre-Hispanic resource. SADER promotes the conservation of the Mexican criollo avocado as a genetic resource in the face of the Hass monoculture. The leaves bring regional identity and are a cultural marker difficult to reproduce outside the Mexican context, although some international cuisines have tried to adopt them with limited success.

Related recipes

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between criollo avocado leaves and Hass avocado leaves?: Only the leaves of the criollo or Mexican-race avocado (Persea americana var. drymifolia) have the culinary anise aroma; when crushed they clearly smell of anise. The leaves of the Hass avocado (a hybrid Guatemalan-Mexican race) and of Antillean races do not produce this aroma and are not suitable as a seasoning. For culinary use the criollo avocado must be identified, which is common in rural markets.
What do avocado leaves taste like?: They have an aromatic anise flavour with notes of fennel, gentle liquorice and white pepper. When toasted or cooked, the aroma concentrates and brings a very Mexican perfume to beans, moles and wrapped meats. They are not spicy or bitter, but rather sweet and aromatic. They are somewhat similar to bay leaf but with the particular anise dimension of estragole.
How are avocado leaves used in cooking?: Fresh or dried, whole or toasted and ground. 2-3 leaves are added to a pot of black beans to flavour them; they are used to wrap mixiotes, tamales and barbacoa; they are added to moles, salsas borrachas and broths. It is common to toast them briefly on a comal before use to bring out the aroma. They keep dried in an airtight jar for months without losing fragrance.
Where do avocado leaves come from?: They are from the Mexican criollo avocado (Persea americana var. drymifolia), native to Mexico and Guatemala. Sahagún documented the ahuacatl in the Florentine Codex. Archaeological remains in Puebla date from more than 9,000 years ago. Today they are used in Michoacan, the State of Mexico, Puebla, Oaxaca, Guerrero and Hidalgo, where criollo trees are preserved in traditional gardens.