Quelite cenizo: pre-Hispanic quelite with grey leaves

What is it?

Quelite cenizo is a traditional quelite of central Mexico belonging to the species Chenopodium berlandieri, a plant of the family Amaranthaceae whose name comes from the greyish or ashy tone of its leaves, covered by a fine whitish powdery layer. It grows wild in milpas, wastelands and cultivated land of the central highlands, especially in the State of Mexico, Tlaxcala, Puebla and Hidalgo, where it has been eaten since pre-Hispanic times. It is a close relative of huauzontle (Chenopodium berlandieri subsp. nuttalliae) and of South American quinoa, with which it shares a botanical genus. Its tender leaves and young stems are cooked and prepared in stews with tomato, in tlacoyos, in soups, in fritters with egg and in rural broths. Its flavour is reminiscent of spinach with a herbal and mineral touch characteristic of the quelites of the highlands.

Origin and history

Quelite cenizo is one of the oldest edible plants of Mesoamerica, with archaeobotanical evidence of consumption and possible early domestication in central Mexico and the southwestern United States. Remains of Chenopodium berlandieri have been found at archaeological sites such as the Coxcatlan Cave in Tehuacan, Puebla, within Richard MacNeish's investigations (Tehuacan Project, 1960-1965), with datings that suggest its use for at least 6,000 years. Sahagun, in Book XI of the Florentine Codex, describes various quelites of the genus Chenopodium consumed by the Nahuas. The domestication of this species in the central highlands gave rise to huauzontle, cultivated for its inflorescences, while the wild or semi-cultivated form is preserved as quelite cenizo. Larousse Cocina and CONABIO document its uninterrupted use in Nahua, Otomi and Mazahua communities up to the present day. Its Nahuatl name was tzicquelitl, and several colonial sources record it as one of the basic foods of the indigenous population of the highlands.

Characteristic ingredients

Chenopodium berlandieri is an annual herbaceous plant that reaches between 50 centimetres and two metres in height, with erect branched stems and lobed leaves shaped like a diamond or lance. The lower surface of the leaves is covered by a fine layer of whitish cells that gives them their characteristic ashy or floury appearance, from which their common name derives. The edible parts are the tender leaves, the young stems and the inflorescences (which in its domesticated variety are huauzontles). The leaves are cooked in salted water and squeezed before being added to stews, since their excessive raw consumption can be hard on the digestion due to their oxalate content, as happens with spinach. In Tlaxcala they are prepared in mole de olla; in Puebla and the State of Mexico they are used in blue masa tlacoyos filled with beans or broad beans; in Hidalgo they are made into egg-battered fritters bathed in tomato sauce. Its seeds are edible and similar to quinoa.

Cultural significance

Quelite cenizo represents one of the deepest roots of the Mesoamerican diet and a living link between the pre-Hispanic milpa and contemporary cuisine. It is part of the set of quelites included in the dossier of traditional Mexican cuisine inscribed in 2010 by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Its domesticated variety, huauzontle, is one of the native pseudocereals of Mexico alongside amaranth and chia, and played a role similar to that of quinoa in the Andes. In highland communities, the gathering and sale of quelite cenizo is a complementary activity of peasant women who supply local markets such as those of Ozumba, Toluca, Tlaxcala and Apan. Research by CINVESTAV and INIFAP highlights its high nutritional value, with high protein, calcium and micronutrient content. Movements such as the Network for Research and Innovation in Agroecology and contemporary Mexican-cuisine chefs have championed it as a strategic ingredient for food sovereignty.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between quelite cenizo and huauzontle?

Both are the same botanical species, Chenopodium berlandieri, but huauzontle is the domesticated subspecies (nuttalliae) cultivated for its edible cluster-shaped inflorescences, while quelite cenizo is the wild or semi-cultivated form that is used for its tender leaves and stems. The name 'cenizo' (ashy) comes from the greyish tone of the leaves; huauzontle is recognised by its green clusters.

What does quelite cenizo taste like?

Its flavour is similar to that of spinach or chard, with a mineral herbal background and a slightly saline aftertaste characteristic of the quelites of the highlands. The texture of the cooked leaves is soft and delicate. It is less bitter than quintonil and more subtle than papaloquelite. It combines well with maize masa, chile guajillo, garlic, onion, beans and fresh cheese.

How is quelite cenizo served?

The tender leaves are briefly boiled, drained and added to filled tlacoyos, egg-battered fritters and tomato sauce, sweetcorn soups, broths with chile guajillo and bean stews. In Tlaxcala they form part of rural mole de olla; in the State of Mexico they are used in vegetarian stuffed chillies. Its seeds, similar to quinoa, are toasted or ground as a pseudocereal.

Where is quelite cenizo originally from?

It is native to the central highlands of Mexico and the southwestern United States. In Mexico it grows wild in milpas and cultivated fields of the State of Mexico, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Hidalgo and Mexico City. Its consumption is documented archaeologically for at least 6,000 years at sites such as the Coxcatlan Cave in Puebla, placing it among the oldest edible plants of the American continent.