Romeritos in mole: the Christmas and Lent dish

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 cakes, diced potatoes and sometimes nopales. The result is a thick stew of mahogany colour with moderate sweetness from the mole, controlled heat and the slightly salty herbaceous freshness of the romeritos. It is one of the central dishes of the Christmas and Lent menu in central Mexico (Mexico City, the State of Mexico, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Morelos, Hidalgo), served as an accompaniment to Christmas Eve dinner alongside bacalao, Christmas pork loin and Christmas salad. Its character as a Lenten dish (without meat, with dried prawn) makes it suitable for Catholic vigil, and its ritual profile deeply connects it with Mexican ceremonial cooking.

Origin and history

Romeritos as a plant are endemic to Mexico and have been eaten since pre-Hispanic times, documented by Bernardino de Sahagún in the Florentine Codex among the Mesoamerican quelites. Their Nahuatl name is "huautli" or "romerito" due to their visual resemblance to European rosemary, although botanically they are not related. After the Conquest, romeritos were incorporated into food syncretism: they were kept as indigenous quelites but cooked with mole (also of pre-Hispanic root) and dried-prawn cakes (colonial technique). Larousse Cocina notes that the dish of romeritos with mole and dried-prawn cakes consolidated in the nineteenth century as an emblematic Lenten and vigil dish, as it complied with Catholic abstinence from red meat. México Desconocido documents that the connection with Christmas is more recent (twentieth 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 by 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, diluted in dried-prawn broth to enhance marine flavours. The prawn cakes are made with ground dried prawn, egg, flour or breadcrumbs, forming small cakes that are fried and added to the stew at the end, along with cooked diced potatoes. Some versions contain boiled nopales. The stew is slow-cooked until the cakes hydrate 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 identifying dishes of the festive calendar of central Mexico, especially in Mexico City and the State of Mexico where consumption in December reaches spectacular peaks. The romerito industry supports rural producers of the Valley of Mexico (Texcoco, Xochimilco, Tláhuac) who maintain cultivation and wild harvest. In the markets of La Viga, La Merced, Jamaica and Sonora, they are sold by the ton 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 and serving it as a family is an identity ritual, 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 a Mediterranean aromatic herb used as a seasoning, with hard and aromatic leaves. Romeritos (Suaeda torreyana) are Mexican quelites with succulent leaves, edible as a whole vegetable, with a slightly salty-herbaceous flavour. They share their name only because of the visual similarity of the fine, green leaves.

What do romeritos in mole taste like?

They taste mainly of 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 dried-prawn cakes provide 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 clay pot or large platter during the Christmas Eve dinner (24 December) or as a main course during Lent (February-April). They are accompanied by maize tortillas, white or red rice, and form part of the Christmas table alongside bacalao, romeritos, leg or loin of pork, and Nochebuena salad. They are eaten with a spoon or with the help of a tortilla.

Where do romeritos originate?

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