Tejocote: what it is, taste and uses in Christmas ponche

What is it?

The tejocote is one of the most beloved and symbolic fruits of the Mexican Christmas season: a small round or oval drupe of two to three centimetres in diameter, with a thin skin of yellow, orange or red depending on the variety and ripeness, firm cream-yellow pulp, slightly mealy, sweet and aromatic, with five hard seeds in the centre that are discarded. Its aroma is intense, floral and fruity, capable of scenting a whole kitchen with just a few fruits. It is an irreplaceable ingredient of traditional Mexican Christmas punch, along with guava, sugar cane, prunes, apple, piloncillo and cinnamon, simmered for hours to create the most recognisable drink of the posadas, Christmas Eve and the year's end. It is also eaten fresh, in traditional sweets (tejocote in syrup, chilli-coated sweets), jams, jellies, atoles and, more recently, contemporary chefs have incorporated it into gourmet versions. The harvest runs from October to January, coinciding with the festive season.

Origin and history

The tejocote is endemic to Mexico and parts of Central America, where its use is documented from pre-Hispanic times. The name tejocote comes from the Nahuatl texocotl, where te means stone and xocotl means sour fruit, translating as sour fruit with a stone or stone fruit. Sahagún in the Florentine Codex and Francisco Hernández in his Historia natural de la Nueva España, both from the sixteenth century, document the tejocote among the important fruits of Mexica cuisine, attributing food, medicinal and ritual uses to it. The tree belongs to the genus Crataegus (hawthorns), the same as the European and North American hawthorns, making it a botanical relative of the Old World hawthorns. The Mexican species, Crataegus mexicana, is distinguished by its larger, sweeter and fleshier fruits than its wild relatives, the result of centuries of selection by pre-Hispanic peoples. After the conquest, the tejocote was integrated into culinary syncretism, keeping its role in the traditional celebrations that became Catholic festivities, particularly the Christmas posadas and the celebration of the Day of the Dead, where it appears in offerings and atoles. In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, tejocote cultivation has become established in states such as Puebla, the State of Mexico, Tlaxcala, Michoacán and Hidalgo, where commercial orchards supply national markets during the Christmas season.

Characteristic ingredients

The tejocote is Crataegus mexicana, an evergreen or semi-deciduous tree of the Rosaceae family that can reach ten metres in height, with thorny branches and alternate toothed leaves. It flowers in spring with clusters of small white flowers and produces fruit in autumn–winter, which makes it ideal for the Christmas season. There are wild and cultivated varieties, with fruits ranging from pale yellow to intense orange-red. The pulp contains vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, calcium, potassium, dietary fibre and flavonoid antioxidants, particularly those associated with cardiovascular health (the Crataegus are known in world herbalism for their cardiotonic properties). To prepare, the tejocotes are washed and any that are soft or damaged are discarded; in the punch, they are boiled whole with their skin for an hour or more, until the pulp softens; diners bite into them, taking care with the seeds. In syrup sweets, they are peeled and cooked with piloncillo, cinnamon and clove, resulting in a traditional dessert very popular in Puebla, Tlaxcala and the State of Mexico. Jams and jellies are typical of producing regions. In traditional medicine, the dried flowers, leaves and fruits are used to prepare infusions for cardiovascular complaints and as a mild sedative. CONABIO documents Crataegus mexicana among the species of cultural and food importance in Mexico.

Cultural significance

The tejocote is Mexican gastronomic heritage and one of the fruits most laden with symbolism of the Christmas season, along with guava, sugar cane and piloncillo. It is an irreplaceable ingredient of Christmas punch, a drink served at all the posadas (the nine nights before Christmas), Christmas Eve, New Year and end-of-year festivities. The phrase 'echar tejocote al ponche' (to add tejocote to the punch) is a popular metaphor for adding the essential ingredient. The Tejocote Fair in some towns of the State of Mexico and Puebla, held in November, keeps the regional tradition alive. Traditional Mexican cuisine, inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, includes punch and Christmas fruits as part of the festive repertoire. Economically, the tejocote supports thousands of small rural producers in central Mexico, with a marketing season concentrated in November–January. In 2010–2012, US health authorities detected dietary supplements made with tejocote sold for weight loss that contained adulterations with the yew cardiotoxin (taxus); this caused alerts and controversy, although fresh fruits and traditional Mexican sweets present no risk and are safe. Today, chefs such as Margarita Carrillo Arronte and Patricia Quintana have rediscovered the tejocote in contemporary cuisine, in jams, mole, sauces for poultry and signature desserts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between tejocote and crab apple?

Both are Rosaceae but of different genera. The tejocote (Crataegus mexicana) is a relative of the European hawthorns, with small yellow or orange fruits, firm pulp and small hard seeds in the centre. The crab apple (Malus spp.) is a direct relative of the cultivated apple, with larger fruits and pip-type seeds. The tejocote has a more aromatic flavour and a more sour-floral profile.

What does tejocote taste like?

It has a bittersweet flavour, slightly mealy, with notes reminiscent of apple, peach, pear and a very characteristic citrus-floral touch. The ripe pulp is dense but firm, not juicy like an apple. The aroma is intense and fragrant, easy to identify even among the other fruits of the punch. Cooked in piloncillo it becomes sweeter and the acidity softens, while keeping its distinctive perfume.

How is tejocote served?

Its most popular use is in Christmas punch, boiled whole with guava, sugar cane, prunes, apple, piloncillo and cinnamon for hours. It is also prepared in syrup sweets (crystallised tejocote, honeyed tejocote), jams and jellies, sweet atoles and, in contemporary cuisine, in sauces for poultry and signature desserts. Fresh, it is eaten in small portions, taking care with the hard seeds in the centre.

Where does the tejocote come from?

It is native to Mexico and parts of Central America, where its use is documented from pre-Hispanic times in sources such as Sahagún and Francisco Hernández. The name comes from the Nahuatl texocotl, stone fruit. Today it is grown mainly in Puebla, the State of Mexico, Tlaxcala, Michoacán and Hidalgo, in commercial orchards that supply national markets during the Christmas season from October to January.