epazote cuts gas in beans.. You only need 1 or 2 tiny leaves. Really has a nice taste also.

[Guest guest]

Epazote & A Pot of Pintos

 

I first discovered epazote in the marketplace of Mexico's San Miguel de Allende,

a picturesque mountain town popular with artisans, American ex-patriots, and

students. Every day, after my Spanish language classes, I'd pass through the

market, nibble on some street food, and pick up provisions for dinner. After a

few weeks, I was treated like a regular, and the merchants sometimes threw bonus

items into my bags of vegetables and fruits — an extra tomato, an avocado, a

bunch of cilantro, or some other little goodie. That's how I got to know

epazote.

 

Epazote (eh-pah-ZOE-teh) grows wild in the US as well as Mexico, and the Mexican

name derives from the Aztec word epazotl. It bears long, pointy, serrated

leaves. North of the border we call it wormseed or pigweed, and you can find it

growing wild just about everywhere — from New York backyards to California

highway medians. Older leaves have a strong aroma and pungent flavor and should

be used judiciously so that they don't overpower other flavors, but young leaves

are less assertive.

 

Epazote is also known as the bean herb, because it's a carminative (meaning it

reduces gas; peppermint and fennelseeds are other carminatives). Mexicans add a

sprig or two to beans, which helps make them more digestible and adds a deep,

unique flavor. Some people say epazote is an acquired taste, but if so, then I'm

a convert: I love it in beans, eggs, and cheese dishes. Mexican cooking expert

Diana Kennedy says that to cook black beans without epazote is " unthinkable, "

adding that when a recipe calls for epazote, there is no substitute.

 

Look for bunches of the ragged, jagged leaves in Mexican and Central American

markets. Dried epazote is available, but it doesn't hit quite the same flavor

spot as fresh epazote. Still, if it's all you can find, crush a small amount

into your next pot of beans to experience the general flavor.

 

While black beans are common in the Yucatan, pinto beans are the choice of north

central Mexico. There's something quite comforting about a pot of pintos, slow

simmering into a naturally sweet, creamy broth. And besides being served plain

with just the pot broth, a spoon and perhaps a crumble of cheese, a pot of

pintos yields an extensive array of other dishes: refried beans, huevos

rancheros, burritos, and filled tortillas.

 

The recipes that follow are good introductions to both the unique taste of

epazote and the Mexican home staple, pinto beans. I often make a Pot of Pintos

for the week, and turn it into a myriad of other dishes, including one of my

personal favorites, Eggs with Epazote and Frijoles. If you're not familiar with

the cheeses used in these recipes, check out my column on Mexican Cheeses: The

Whole Enchilada. And if you can't find epazote in your area, don't worry: these

recipes taste good even without the epazote, although it does add that authentic

flavor of Mexico south of the border.

 

Kate Heyhoe

Global Gourmet

 

 

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[Guest guest]

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Epazote sounds wonderful! I've never seen it here in Vermont, though :-(

.. I may be traveling to N. Carolina or Tenn. this summer, so hopefully

if I keep my eyes open, I may find some. I will eventually look it up in

an herb book, so that I know what it looks like if I come across it in

the wild. Thanks for posting this!

Donna

 

 

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