Huauzontle – Chenopodium nuttalliae – is an interesting vegetable of Mexican origin that is closely related to Quinoa – but with this plant it’s the flower bud cluster that is eaten instead – basically like a broccoli. It is a pretty hardy plant that likes a lot of sun and heat in the main spring – summer growing season.
It is usually eaten as a vegetable green like spinach – or more interestingly dipped in a light batter and very quickly deep fried. In Mexico with cheese…
The flowers and stems are a spectacular bright pink-red.
It self seeds easily on the same spot or you can grab a handful of the seed heads when ripe and reseed where you want them by scatter sowing them and raking them in a bit.
Like a lot of the other Chenopodiums it can also be a weed if left to grow by itself for too long in a warm climate.
Also like a lot of the other chenopodiums it has a distinct taste that some may not like – but being encased in a deep fried batter with melted cheese may draw attention away from that…