Pápalo: what it is, taste and uses in Puebla cooking

What is it?

Pápalo (Porophyllum macrocephalum), also called papaloquelite, is an aromatic herb native to the Mexican Altiplano of the Asteraceae family, whose rounded green leaves are eaten fresh as a seasoning. It has a characteristic penetrating aroma reminiscent of strong coriander mixed with rue and rocket. It grows wild and is cultivated in Puebla, Tlaxcala, Morelos, Oaxaca and central Mexico, with the main harvest between May and October. It is essential in Puebla cuisine, where it crowns the cemita, the tlacoyos, the memelas, the tacos placeros and peasant soups. Unlike coriander, it is never cooked: it is eaten raw at the moment of serving to preserve its aroma. Its name comes from the Nahuatl 'papalotl' (butterfly), because of the shape of its leaves, which resemble wings. It is one of the aromas most emblematic of contemporary Puebla and Tlaxcala cuisine.

Origin and history

Pápalo is of pre-Hispanic origin and was part of the traditional quelites of the peoples of the Mexican Altiplano. Fray Bernardino de Sahagún recorded various quelites in the Florentine Codex, including plants related to the Porophyllum. Its Nahuatl name 'papaloquilitl' means 'butterfly herb'. The Nahua, Tlaxcalan and Mixtec ate it as a fresh seasoning and medicinal plant. CONABIO documents Porophyllum macrocephalum as a wild and semi-cultivated plant in central Mexico. Larousse Cocina records it as an emblematic aromatic herb of Puebla cuisine. Its uninterrupted use since pre-Hispanic times makes it a living heritage of central Mexican cuisine. During the colonial period it was integrated naturally into the mestizo recipe book: the cemita poblana, a sandwich of Lebanese-Puebla tradition, incorporated the fresh pápalo leaves as an indispensable aromatic contrast. The preservation of its consumption maintains a direct connection with the pre-Hispanic milpa cuisine of the Altiplano.

Characteristic ingredients

Pápalo is an annual herbaceous plant up to 1.5 metres tall, with hollow cylindrical stems, alternate rounded or oblong leaves with visible oil glands, and small tubular flower heads with purplish flowers. It grows in disturbed soils, milpas, backyards and roadsides of the central Mexican Altiplano. Its leaves contain essential oils rich in tagetone, myrcene, limonene and other volatile terpenes responsible for its penetrating aroma. It provides vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, calcium and antioxidants. It is always eaten raw, in whole leaves added at the end as a fresh ingredient. The leaves are sold in bunches in the markets of Puebla and Tlaxcala during the season (May to October), and must be eaten fresh because they lose their aroma quickly. They keep for a few days in water as a bunch or wrapped in damp paper in the refrigerator. There are other related species of the genus Porophyllum: papaloquelite (P. ruderale subsp. macrocephalum, practically identical) and pipicha (P. tagetoides) with narrower leaves and a more subtle aroma. In markets the names are frequently interchanged.

Cultural significance

Pápalo is one of the living symbols of Puebla and Tlaxcala cuisine. It defines the aroma of the cemita poblana, an emblematic sandwich made with sesame bread, breaded beef or chicken escalope, Oaxaca cheese or quesillo, chipotle in adobo, avocado and always crowned with fresh pápalo leaves. It also appears in tlacoyos, memelas, tacos placeros, tostadas and peasant broths. Its fresh consumption at the end of the dish is a distinctive culinary feature. SADER and CONABIO promote Mexican quelites as a strategy for food security and the revival of biodiversity. It forms part of the traditional Mexican cuisine declared Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010, particularly in its Puebla expression. Its sale in bunches by women farmers in markets such as the San Francisco market in Puebla, the markets of Cholula and the tianguis of Tlaxcala supports family economies. It is a herb that retains a strong regional rootedness, which makes it an immediate cultural marker for Puebla people abroad.

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