Huauzontles: what they are, taste and how to cook them

What is it?

Huauzontles (Chenopodium berlandieri subsp. nuttalliae) are a pre-Hispanic quelite of the Mexican Altiplano formed by the young flower heads with flowers and immature seeds of a plant of the Amaranthaceae family, a close relative of amaranth and quinoa. They have the shape of a bunch or vertical panicle, are green in colour with small seeds, and have a delicate flavour reminiscent of broccoli and spinach with earthy notes. They are grown in the State of Mexico (especially the Tlaxcala-State of Mexico border area), Tlaxcala, Puebla and Morelos, mainly between July and November. Their most emblematic preparation is huauzontle fritters battered in egg and bathed in tomato broth, frequently stuffed with fresh or Oaxaca cheese. They also appear in quesadillas, soups and stews. Their consumption is concentrated in central Mexico with a ritual and symbolic presence during Lent.

Origin and history

Huauzontles are of pre-Hispanic origin and are one of the oldest domesticated crops of Mesoamerica. The species Chenopodium berlandieri subsp. nuttalliae was domesticated thousands of years ago in the Mexican Altiplano. Fray Bernardino de Sahagún recorded them in the Florentine Codex under the Nahuatl name 'huauhtli' or 'huauhquilitl' (hair-herb plant), and the Nahua, Tlaxcalan and Mexica ate them as a vegetable, as well as using their seeds as a pseudo-cereal similar to amaranth. CONABIO and SADER document the huauzontle as one of the pre-Hispanic crops that maintain current commercial production, alongside amaranth, chia and maize. Larousse Cocina records it as an essential ingredient of the traditional recipe book. During the conquest, the crops of huauzontle, amaranth and chia were discouraged by the friars because the seeds were used in pre-Hispanic rituals; however, the consumption of huauzontle as a vegetable survived in family kitchens and was integrated into the Catholic Lenten recipe book as a fasting dish.

Characteristic ingredients

The huauzontle plant is annual, up to 2 metres tall, with erect reddish or green stems, alternate lance-shaped leaves and long terminal flower heads that produce thousands of seeds. The tender flowering branches with immature seeds are the culinary huauzontle; when they ripen, the seeds are harvested as a pseudo-cereal with nutritional properties similar to amaranth and quinoa. They provide plant proteins of high biological value, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins A and C, folic acid and fibre. Their nutritional profile rivals that of quinoa. To prepare them as fritters, the branches are boiled until the seeds and tender stems soften, bunches are pressed together to form clumps, they are stuffed with fresh or Oaxaca cheese, dipped in egg beaten to stiff peaks, fried and bathed in tomato broth with onion, garlic and spices. The woody stems are not eaten. They are sold in tied bunches during the season in markets such as Cholula, San Pedro Atocpan, Texcoco and Tlaxcala. There are local variants with intense red or green tones.

Cultural significance

Huauzontles are one of the most symbolic quelites of central Mexico and an emblematic dish of Mexican Catholic Lent, a period in which they replace meat on family tables. Their consumption is concentrated in the State of Mexico, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Morelos and Mexico City, where the fritters in tomato broth are part of the everyday home and fonda recipe book. SADER recognises the huauzontle as a pre-Hispanic crop strategic for agricultural diversification and food security. Larousse Cocina and México Desconocido record them as one of the Mexican quelites par excellence. They form part of the traditional Mexican cuisine declared Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010. Their cultivation supports the family economies of small producers of the Altiplano, particularly in the Valley of Teotihuacán and Tlaxcala. The consumption of huauzontles represents an act of cultural continuity: eating the same plant that the peoples of the Altiplano cultivated before contact with Europe. It has a very strong identity value for the communities of the centre.

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