mexican flavours

• • notes

A summary of some Mexican style food flavour plants that I’m growing – or trying to grow…

Currently I’m trying to grow as wide a range as possible given the cold temperate climate where even growing tomatoes can sometime be a challenge due to the unpredictable conditions.

Most of these plants have to be grown inside or in my glasshouse for about 4-6 months of the year during winter as the minimum temp just drops too far down to keep them actively growing.

The core food items are:

  • Maize – corn
  • Beans – Black and Pinto mainly
  • Squash – mainly light green white speckled courgette or zucchini looking
  • Peppers – Chilli – Chipotle is a dry cooked jalapeno chilli pepper
  • Rice
  • Tomatillo
  • Tomato
  • Origano
  • Coriander – cilantro
  • Eryngium
  • Chayote [or Choko in Australia]
  • Epazote
  • Huauzontle
  • Cinnamon
  • Cocoa – chocolate
  • Garlic
  • Onions
  • Avocado – including toasted leaves
  • Honey
  • Vanilla

What I’m trying to grow

The photos are mainly of the seedlings or cuttings and simply to help identify them and seedling times.

Update >> There are a large number of other foods I’m now growing at other warmer locations including a wide range of chill peppers, tomatillos and tomatoes and additional seasoning type plants such as Coriander and Papalo etc. and items like the various gourds and squashes. There are still many more I would like to grow myself but climate does limit many options given that Mexico has such a wealth of very different regional cuisines and environments.

Epazote  Dysphania ambrosioides – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epazote

A very odd and distinctive taste sensation – has 2 parts to it like green coriander and mint with mustard overtones – then a dry followup on the palate a bit like kerosine but not unpleasant – somewhat similar to the hayshed characteristics that you get with a Pinot Noir wine or the kerosine flavour sometimes in Rieslings. Supposedly poisonous eaten in large amounts. You only need a leave or two added to Black beans to impart flavour. The leaves are used for making tea.

Previously known as Chenopodium ambrosioides

Eryngium – Coriander –  Eryngium_foetidum – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eryngium_foetidum

Coriander – Cilantro – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriander

Tomatillo Physalis philadelphica – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatillo

Growing a largish purple and 2 green varieties.

 

Tomato Solanum – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato

Maize and Corn Zea Mays – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maize

Growing Gold, Black, Red and the strawberry one for popping – but not sure if it is relevant here.

Chayote (or Choko in Australia) Sechium Edule – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chayote

Chilli – Cayenne, Jalapeño, Serrano, Habenero

More note to come on these… photos above taken on 13 August

Huauzontle – Chenopodium nuttalliae – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huauzontle

Related to Quinoa the flowers are mainly used instead of the seed – a lot like broccoli. The leaves need to be cooked for about a minute to remove the oxalates and saponins.