Quintoniles: what they are, benefits and how to cook them

What is it?

Quintoniles, also written quintoniles or cenizo quelites when young, are the tender leaves and shoots of wild amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus), one of the oldest and most nutritious quelites of Mexican cuisine. They have alternate green leaves, sometimes with reddish tones on the stems, and grow spontaneously in milpas, backyards and open crops of central Mexico: the State of Mexico, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Morelos and Hidalgo. Their flavour is mild, slightly earthy and resembles spinach, which has earned them the nickname 'Mexican spinach'. They are eaten between March and September in stews, in quesadillas, soups, sautéed tacos, fritters, tamales and scrambled eggs. They are a pre-Hispanic quelite belonging to the same plant as the edible amaranth whose seeds are the base of the classic alegría sweet.

Origin and history

Quintoniles are of pre-Hispanic origin and form part of the traditional quelites of the Mexican Altiplano. Their name comes from the Nahuatl 'quiltonilli' or 'quilitl' (edible herb) combined with an affectionate suffix. Fray Bernardino de Sahagún recorded them in the Florentine Codex as one of the edible herbs of the markets of Tenochtitlán, and the Nahua peoples ate them as an everyday part of the milpa diet alongside maize, beans, squash and chilli. Amaranthus hybridus is the same species of amaranth whose seeds are used to make alegrías; while the plant grows its tender leaves are eaten, and when it ripens the seeds are harvested. CONABIO documents its wild and cultivated presence throughout central Mexico. Larousse Cocina records them as an essential quelite of the traditional recipe book. SADER promotes quintoniles as part of the revival of Mexican quelites to reinforce food security. It is one of the integral uses of the amaranth plant, where no part is wasted.

Characteristic ingredients

The Amaranthus hybridus plant is annual, 1-2 metres tall, with reddish or green stems, alternate lance-shaped leaves and long red or green inflorescences that produce thousands of small seeds. Quintoniles are the tender leaves and shoots harvested before flowering, when they are softer and more aromatic. They contain plant proteins of high biological value, iron, calcium, vitamins A, C and K, folic acid, magnesium and fibre. Their protein content is notably high among leafy vegetables (close to 30% of dry weight). They are prepared sautéed with onion, garlic and chilli, in stews with coriander or epazote, in scrambled eggs Mexican-style, in quesadillas, in soups and broths, in cheese fritters, and as a tamale filling. They are harvested young and eaten the same day. The tender stems are also used, but the mature ones become woody and are discarded. There are cultivated amaranth varieties with wider leaves and pale seeds (Amaranthus hypochondriacus, A. cruentus) that also yield quintoniles, in addition to the wild A. hybridus.

Cultural significance

Quintoniles represent the food continuity of the Mexican Altiplano from pre-Hispanic times to the present, alongside other quelites such as cenizo quelite, romeritos, purslane and huauzontles. They form part of the milpa system, declared Biocultural Heritage by SADER, where the use of the so-called 'weeds' that grow among the maize is transformed into an important nutritional component. In traditional markets such as Cholula, Coyotepec, Texcoco and Tlaxcala they are sold in bunches during the season. Larousse Cocina includes them among the emblematic quelites. UNESCO includes quintoniles among the representative ingredients of traditional Mexican cuisine, Intangible Heritage of Humanity since 2010. Their nutritional value has aroused academic interest: the FAO has recognised amaranth as a crop of the future for its resistance to droughts and its protein value. The consumption of quintoniles strengthens the family economy of women farmers who gather them in traditional milpas. Their presence in the seasonal markets connects urban consumers with pre-Hispanic agricultural wisdom.

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