Quelites: what they are, types and how to cook them

What is it?

Quelites are a broad and diverse set of edible herbs, tender leaves and shoots that have been consumed in Mexico since pre-Hispanic times. The word comes from the Nahuatl quilitl, meaning edible herb, and groups together more than 350 documented plant species, among them quintonil, huauzontle, papaloquelite, romeritos, epazote, purslane, alaches, cenizo quelite and chaya. They grow wild or semi-cultivated in the milpa, that Mesoamerican agricultural system that combines maize, bean, squash and usable spontaneous plants. They are consumed in soups, broths, stews, tlacoyos, tamales, quesadillas and salads. They represent a pillar of Mexican rural cuisine, a symbol of food biodiversity and a key component of the traditional diet now reclaimed by contemporary cuisine and by movements in favour of food sovereignty.

Origin and history

The consumption of quelites goes back at least 8,000 years in Mesoamerica, according to archaeobotanical research at sites such as the Coxcatlán cave (Tehuacán, Puebla), excavated by Richard MacNeish between 1960 and 1965. There, remains of Chenopodium, Amaranthus and Portulaca were found, showing that these herbs were already part of the diet of the first farmers of the continent. Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, in Book XI of the Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España (sixteenth century), devoted whole chapters to describing dozens of quelites with their Nahuatl names, their culinary uses and their medicinal properties. The Florentine, Badiano and Mendoza codices record names such as tzicquilitl, quiltonile, mexixquilitl and huautli. After the conquest, quelites resisted the process of mestizaje because they grew spontaneously in European crops, and many indigenous peoples maintained their gathering and consumption. SADER and Larousse Cocina agree in pointing to them as one of the most living pre-Hispanic legacies of present-day Mexican cuisine.

Characteristic ingredients

Quelites are not a single plant but a cultural category that encompasses very different botanical families: Amaranthaceae (quintonil, cenizo quelite, huauzontle), Asteraceae (papaloquelite, pápalo, pipicha), Portulacaceae (purslane), Chenopodiaceae (romeritos), Polygonaceae (curly dock), Euphorbiaceae (chaya), Malvaceae (alaches), Brassicaceae (mustard), Solanaceae (black nightshade) and Piperaceae (hoja santa, acuyo). Each species has its own aromatic and nutritional profile: quintoniles are mild, pápalos intense and resinous, romeritos mineral, huauzontle sweet and alaches mucilaginous. All share a high content of protein, fibre, calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C, according to studies by the INSP and the FAO. They are eaten tender, generally cooked Mexican-style with epazote, garlic, onion and chilli, although some such as pápalo and purslane are also eaten raw. Their gathering is linked to the rainy cycle from May to October and is concentrated in the rural markets of the highlands and central Mexico.

Cultural significance

Quelites are a central part of the dossier of traditional Mexican cuisine inscribed in 2010 by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, where they are recognised as an identity element of the milpa and the Mesoamerican diet. Their gathering remains a significant economic and cultural activity for Nahua, Mazahua, Otomí, Zapotec, Mixtec and Maya communities, particularly for rural women who sell them fresh in the tianguis. The FAO has highlighted them as a key resource for food security and nutrition in contexts of poverty. Various collectives such as Quelites de México, peasant organisations and chefs such as Enrique Olvera, Edgar Núñez and Jorge Vallejo have revalued them in contemporary fine dining, integrating them into the menus of internationally awarded restaurants. Researchers at CIESAS, El Colegio de México and the UNAM have documented their agroecological importance, their nutritional value and their role in the intergenerational transmission of traditional culinary knowledge.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between quelites and vegetables?

Quelites are a Mesoamerican cultural category that encompasses wild or semi-cultivated herbs, leaves and shoots consumed since pre-Hispanic times, while vegetables are usually garden-grown crops, many of European or Asian origin. Quelites include more than 350 species from very diverse botanical families; vegetables form a more restricted set of intensive crops.

What do quelites taste like?

The flavour varies enormously by species. Quintoniles and cenizo quelite are reminiscent of spinach; papaloquelite and pápalo are intense, herbal and resinous; romeritos have a mineral and slightly saline profile; purslane is juicy and citrusy; huauzontle, sweet and vegetal; epazote, strong and menthol-like. The diversity of flavours is one of their greatest appeals.

How are quelites served?

Traditionally they are cooked in salted water, drained and incorporated into stews with tomato, chilli and epazote, into tlacoyos, quesadillas, tamales, soups, sweetcorn broths and scrambled eggs. Some such as pápalo, pipicha and purslane are also eaten raw in tacos and salads. The regional recipes are very diverse, from Oaxacan green mole to the quelite broths of the State of Mexico.

Where do quelites come from?

They are native to Mesoamerica, with a core of greater diversity in central and southern Mexico. Their gathering and semi-domestication is associated with the milpa system, where they grow as spontaneous companions of maize, bean and squash. The main producing and consuming regions are the State of Mexico, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Morelos, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Chiapas and Veracruz.