Enchiladas

Mexican Oregano

Despite its name, Mexican oregano isn’t really oregano. Even more confusing, it isn’t one particular plant but several. Plants referred to as “Mexican oregano” can be related to mint, bee balm, verbena, even coleus, but they all share one thing in common—an aroma and flavor reminiscent of true oregano coupled with an assertiveness that can stand up to spicy, hot foods better than many other herbs.

Italian oregano (Origanum x majoricum) and the Mexican oregano (Poliomintha longiflora) are both in the Lamiaceae, or mint, family, but the aromatic and pleasantly sweet flavor of the Italian oregano is mild by comparison to the pungent, sharp, boldness of its Mexican relative, making the Italian oregano a better choice for a delicate tomato sauce and the latter for a spicy enchilada sauce.

Poliomintha longiflora is popular and widely available in South Texas. It is deer, insect, and drought resistant and displays a profusion of delicate lavender blossoms all summer long.

Bolner’s Fiesta Spices markets a similar-tasting but totally different herb as “Mexican Oregano.” Tom Bolner says, “The oregano we process from Mexico comes from the area around San Luis Potosí and is Lippia graveolens.”

A close relative of lemon verbena, it is the most likely herb to be sold as orégano in Mexico; it grows four to six feet in height and has clusters of small, cream-colored flowers that bloom virtually year round in warm climates.

Mexican oreganos have been used in folk medicine as a topical antiseptic, as a mouthwash, and as a treatment for sore throats and colds.

In the kitchen, Mexican oreganos pair well with allspice, chiles, cumin, garlic, lime, tomatoes, beans, chorizo, and beef. Mexican oregano’s resilient flavor is not only excellent in enchilada sauces but also in marinades and adobos. Many cooks prefer to use it in its dried form because drying makes the herb milder and sweeter.

Epazote

At first glance, epazote is an unlikely candidate for Mexican herb fame. A member of the Goosefoot family of plants, this tenacious, gangly native of southern Mexico and Central and South America looks and behaves like a weed. It grows to three or more feet in height with irregular branches, long serrated leaves, and clusters of tiny green flowers at the tips of the stems.

The original name comes from the Nahautl Indian words epatl, meaning “skunk,” and tzotl, meaning “sweat,” which is a pretty good indication that epazote has a rather assertive aroma. Common English names for epazote—“skunkweed,” “pigweed,” and “wormseed”—also raise questions from a culinary point of view. Some people detect the odor of creosote, others turpentine, musk, or more happily, lemon. But one thing is certain: there is more to epazote than meets the eye—and the nose.

Thousands of years ago, Aztecs recognized the importance of epazote medicinally, as well as culinarily. Though ingesting large amounts of the seed oil can be toxic, small amounts of the plant can be used as a remedy for parasites and worms, as an analgesic, as a carminative, and for stomach ailments. It also repels insects and therefore protects the other plants in the garden.

In the kitchen, it lends an earthy, lemony background note to eggs, potatoes, squash, and tomatoes, pork and crab dishes, huitlachoche, soups, mole de olla and mole verde, and sopes. But epazote is most famous for what it adds to, and takes away from, beans. This is because epazote not only adds its unique flavor to legumes; it also reduces the unpleasant side effect that often goes with eating them—gas—which makes epazote food-friendly, people-friendly, and a “weed” worth keeping around.

Cilantro

Cilantro is the Mexican name (and the most commonly used name in the United States) for the leaves of the coriander plant. It is one of the most widely used herbs in the world. The leaves, roots, and seeds show up in the cuisines of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and even Scandinavia.

But in spite of its universality, cilantro evokes extreme reaction—people either love it or hate it. While some describe the herb as citrusy, earthy, and nutty, others say it tastes and smells like soap.

Food author and scientist Harold McGee explains why. It has to do with aldehydes that are present in the plant and the way people perceive them. Aldehydes are organic compounds made up of modified fatty substances that are often quite pungent. And the aldehydes in cilantro are very similar to or the same as those found in soap or in the body fluids exuded by the bug family of insects. Some people may be genetically hardwired to dislike the herb because of a subliminal perception of it as something that shouldn’t be eaten.¹ However, repeated exposure may diminish this negative reaction.

Aside from its controversial taste, cilantro is rather delicate. Always use a sharp knife when chopping it to prevent bruising the tender leaves. And remember that heat dissipates the flavor, so the herb should be used raw or added at the very end of cooking.

How to Preserve Cilantro

Cut ½ inch (12 mm) off the ends of the stems with a sharp knife, place the stems in a glass with a couple of inches of water in it, cover loosely with a plastic bag, and refrigerate. It should stay fresh for more than a week.

Note: Don’t confuse cilantro with culantro (Eryngium foetidum). They are closely related, but culantro, which is popular in many Caribbean and Asian cuisines, has much larger saw-toothed leaves and a considerably stronger taste and aroma.

Canela (Cinnamon)

Cinnamon could be called the Spice of Conquest—it was introduced to Spain by Moorish invaders during the 8^th century and subsequently brought to the New World by Spanish conquistadors in the early 16^th century.

In both instances, the invaders were eventually overthrown, but not before the spice had found a permanent home in the native cuisines. In Mexico, the people soon discovered that cinnamon, which they call “canela,” was the perfect complement to chocolate, moles, picadillos, and myriad other savory and sweet dishes. In fact, “Mexican chocolate” usually implies chocolate with cinnamon. Today, Mexico is the largest single importer of true cinnamon in the world.

“True” is used here for good reason. The spice referred to as cinnamon in the United States is usually cassia, a close relative of canela, or true cinnamon, the spice used in Mexican cuisine.

Canela is native to the island country of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), and has a more delicate aroma and a subtler and sweeter flavor than the more strongly flavored cassia, which is cultivated in China, Vietnam, India, and Indonesia. Though the spices are similar, they are by no means identical and generally should not be substituted for each other. For example, cassia might be excellent in a curry, but true cinnamon is more appropriate for a Mexican mole.

Luckily, cassia and true cinnamon are easy to tell apart. When sold whole, as canela entera, true cinnamon is light beige in color and comprised of several thin layers of tender, inner bark that have been rolled into long, relatively brittle “quills.” These quills are soft enough to break easily or pulverize in a mortar or electric grinder. By contrast, the woody “sticks” of cassia are much harder, rolled like a scroll, and are reddish brown in color.

Mexican Mint Marigold

Mexican mint marigold, also known as “yerbaníz,” “Texas tarragon,” “pericón,” and “hierba de las nubes” (cloud plant), is a versatile, anise-flavored perennial, native to the mountains of Mexico and Guatemala.

It grows as an upright, bushy shrub, two to three feet in height, with spear-shaped, finely serrated leaves about 1½ inches (4 cm) long and ¼ inch (6 mm) wide. It is drought, heat, and insect resistant and attracts beneficial insects to a garden. In the fall, when many other flowering plants have faded, it produces masses of small, bright yellow-orange blooms.

It was first documented by Europeans in the 16^th century. Legend has it that the Aztecs used the ground leaves in a powder they blew into the faces of ritual victims to calm them before sacrifice. It is still used in Mexico today as a medicinal tea for upset stomachs, to calm nerves, and as a cure for everything from colds to hangovers.

The blooms, because of their rich color and fragrance, are popular in fresh flower arrangements and add beauty to mixed green salads. Dried, the blossoms may be added to potpourris and sachets.

The leaves are an excellent substitute in any recipe calling for French tarragon, an herb which is difficult to grow in hot climates. Mexican mint marigold adds a subtle anise flavor to salads, eggs, fish and shellfish dishes, and chicken. It is also useful in vinaigrettes and flavored oils, in savory desserts, and for making a soothing anise-flavored tea.

Hoja Santa

Hoja santa, which means “sacred leaf” in Spanish, is a popular herb in Mexican cuisine. The broad, heart-shaped, velvety leaves can grow to the size of a dinner plate (12 inches, 30 cm) or larger, and are often used as a wrapper for fish, meat, and tamales. The leaves are also torn or chopped and added to soups, stews, beans, and moles, such as the famous mole verde from Oaxaca.

The flavor is elusive to describe but impossible to forget, evoking comparisons to sassafras, licorice, anise, or black pepper. (In fact, the plant is in the same botanical family as black pepper, Piper nigrum.) The aroma is reminiscent of sassafras or root beer, which is why it is commonly called “the root beer plant” in the United States.

Hoja santa is native to Mesoamerica and grows well in warm climates. Some gardeners will say that it grows too well—if not grown in a container or confined area, it can quickly spread and take over an entire garden.

The plant thrives in moist, well-drained soil and, when the weather is really hot, benefits from a little afternoon shade. It will die back in freezing weather but will usually come back in the spring. It is an eye-catching ornamental plant and very useful in the Mexican kitchen.