Romeritos: what they are, how to cook them and when

What is it?

Romeritos are a traditional Mexican dish made with romeritos (Suaeda torreyana), small wild quelites with green succulent leaves, stewed in red or poblano mole, accompanied by dried-prawn fritters, cubed potatoes and sometimes nopales. The result is a thick, mahogany-coloured stew with a moderate sweetness from the mole, controlled heat and the herbaceous, slightly salty freshness of the romeritos. It is one of the central dishes of the Christmas and Lent menu in central Mexico (Mexico City, State of Mexico, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Morelos, Hidalgo), served as an accompaniment to the Christmas Eve dinner alongside bacalao, Christmas pork loin and Christmas Eve salad. Its character as a Lenten dish (without meat, with dried prawn) makes it suitable for Catholic abstinence, and its ritual profile connects it deeply with ceremonial Mexican cooking.

Origin and history

Romeritos as a plant are endemic to Mexico and have been eaten since pre-Hispanic times, documented by Bernardino de Sahagun in the Florentine Codex among the Mesoamerican quelites. Its Nahuatl name is 'huautli' or 'romerito' for its visual resemblance to European rosemary, although botanically they are unrelated. After the Conquest, romeritos were incorporated into food syncretism: they were kept as an indigenous quelite but cooked with mole (also of pre-Hispanic roots) and prawn fritters (a colonial technique). Larousse Cocina notes that the dish of romeritos with mole and prawn fritters became established in the 19th century as an emblematic dish of Lent and abstinence, since it complied with the Catholic abstinence from red meat. Mexico Desconocido documents that the connection with Christmas is more recent (the 20th century), when the Lenten dish was transferred to the December menu. Today it is a flagship dish of central Mexico, present in any traditional market such as La Merced or Jamaica during December and the Easter season.

Characteristic ingredients

Romeritos (Suaeda torreyana, a halophyte plant of the Amaranthaceae family) grow wild in the saline soils of the Valley of Mexico and other areas of central Mexico. They are harvested by hand from March to April and from November to December, coinciding with Lent and Christmas. The leaves are cleaned, removing woody twigs, briefly boiled in water with salt and bicarbonate (which keeps the bright green colour) and drained. The mole for romeritos is typically red, poblano or ranchero mole, diluted in dried-prawn broth to enhance the marine flavours. The prawn fritters are made with ground dried prawn, egg, flour or breadcrumbs, forming small fritters that are fried and added to the stew at the end, along with cubed cooked potatoes. Some versions have boiled nopales. The stew is cooked slowly until the fritters rehydrate and the flavours integrate. The traditional ratio is 2 parts romeritos to 1 part mole. It is served hot with maize tortillas.

Cultural significance

Romeritos are one of the most identity-rich dishes of the festive calendar of central Mexico, especially in Mexico City and the State of Mexico where their consumption in December reaches spectacular peaks. The romerito industry supports rural producers of the Valley of Mexico (Texcoco, Xochimilco, Tlahuac) who keep the cultivation and wild harvest going. In the markets of La Viga, La Merced, Jamaica and Sonora they are sold by the tonne during December and Lent. The dish symbolises the pre-Hispanic-colonial fusion: an endemic Mesoamerican quelite (romeritos) in a complex mestizo sauce (mole) with a colonial product (dried prawn). Traditional Mexican cuisine was recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, and romeritos are a prototypical example of the dishes that make up this heritage. It is a ceremonial dish: cooking it and serving it as a family is a ritual of identity, especially on Christmas Eve when it brings generations together around the pot.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between romeritos and rosemary?

They are botanically unrelated plants. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is an aromatic herb of the Mediterranean used as a seasoning, with hard, aromatic leaves. Romeritos (Suaeda torreyana) are a Mexican quelite with succulent leaves, edible as a whole vegetable, with a slightly salty-herbaceous flavour. They share the name only because of the visual similarity of the thin green leaves.

What do romeritos in mole taste like?

They taste mainly of the mole (red, poblano or ranchero) with its complexity of toasted chillies, spices, nuts and moderate sweetness, contrasted by the herbaceous and slightly salty freshness of the romeritos as a vegetal counterpoint. The prawn fritters add marine umami depth; the potatoes soften and give body. It is a complex, dense dish with many layers of flavour.

How are romeritos served?

They are served hot as a side dish in a pot or large platter during the Christmas Eve dinner (24 December) or as a main dish during Lent (February-April). They are accompanied by maize tortillas, white or red rice, and form part of the Christmas table alongside bacalao, leg or loin of pork, and Christmas Eve salad. They are eaten with a spoon or with the help of a tortilla.

Where do romeritos come from?

They are endemic to central Mexico, especially the Valley of Mexico and surrounding saline areas. Their consumption as a Mesoamerican quelite is documented since pre-Hispanic times in sources such as the Florentine Codex of Sahagun. The current dish with mole and prawn fritters is a product of colonial syncretism. Today they are also cultivated in Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla and Morelos.