Epazote

I had no idea what epazote was until about a year ago. I had been researching Mexico and Mexican cuisine last April when I stumbled on this interesting herb.

Epazote is an culinary and medicinal herb native to Mexico and Central America originally cultivated and used by the Aztecs and Mayans. It's name comes from the nahuatl (Aztec) 'epazotl' meaning skunk weed. It is well known for it's distinct taste and smell which you will either love or hate. It cannot be replaced by anything in recipes as there is just nothing like it. I put it in a Oaxacan bean recipe, in quesadillas, in tacos, whatever I like. It is usually added fresh and at the last few minutes of cooking.

 

Medicinally it is used as:

amebicide, 

antibacterial, 

anticancerous, 

antimalarial,  

hepatoprotective (liver protector)  

liver detoxifier

antiparasitic, 

antitumorous, 

ascaricide (kills Ascaris parasitic worms),

insecticidal,

diaphoretic (promotes sweating),

menstrual stimulant, 

nervine (balances/calms nerves), 

sedative, (just smelling this herb makes you feel relaxed)

asthma
and more..

I grow epazote in our garden and cut it often adding it to whatever Mexican recipe I am making. I also make a decoction from it and drink that.  It is extremely easy to grow and will flourish in just about any soil. It can become an invasive weed seeding and spreading itself everywhere. Currently I have about 4 miniature epazote plants besides the main one. Be sure to cut your epazote often to keep it from seeding. Like basil, once it seeds that is all it wants to do and you will end up with woody seedy bushes rather than lush leafy ones.

I make a decoction of this herb by adding about an half a cup of epazote leaves and stems to about 4 cups of water and boil this for about ten minutes on the stove top. Be sure your cuttings aren't too 'seedy' as you want to get mainly leaves.

CAUTION:

Whil having all of these great properties, this herb is toxic at highly concentrated levels because of the principle oil in it: ascaridole. Ascaridole is mostly concentrated in the seeds of the plant. 

As a result unusually large quantities of this should be avoided and the essential oil should not be used as it is toxic.

Not to be taken while pregnant or breast-feeding.