Epazote

Spice Origins Indigenous to Central and Southern México, but is today a common neophyte in Europe and the US. Spice Description A Mexican herb that has a very strong taste and sometimes has a gasoline or perfumey type odor. It has been used in Mexican cuisine for thousands of years dating back to the Aztecs who used it for cooking as well as for medicinal purposes.Epazote has a distinct taste that cannot be replaced by other herbs. Culinary Uses Epazote is used fresh in soups, salads and meat dishes; it appears in the recipe for mole verde, a Mexican herb sauce. The most common usage is, however, in bean dishes. The most commonly Epazote flavored food are Mexican refried beans (frijoles refritos). Refried beans can be made of any type of small beans, with Epazote; in Southern Mexico, however, cooks would usually use Epazote, especially for black beans. Yet Epazote works well with other kinds of beans, e.g. pinto beans, which are more popular and more easily available in the US and elsewhere.