General Info
Culantro
CULANTRO is often mistaken for cilantro by English speakers. Although culantro and coriander (cilantro leaves) are in the same plant family, they are of different species.
Mexican Coriander = Culantro
CULANTRO is often mistaken for cilantro by English speakers. Although culantro and coriander (cilantro leaves) are in the same plant family, they are of different species.
The scientific name of the cilantro plant is Coriandrum sativum, while the scientific name of culantro is Eryngium foetidum.
Also known as fitweed, long coriander, wild coriander, spiritweed, sawtooth, saw-leaf herb in English, culantro is an herb native to Mexico and South America. It is now grown all over the world.
It is used in salsa and to spice up soups and stews. You can use it in rice dishes like arroz al culantro, chicken dishes like pollo al culantro, or mix it up with frijoles negros (black beans).
0Mexican Yellow Bean = Mayacoba
These pale yellow beans of medium size are known as Peruano or Peruvian beans of the Andes, but are native to Mexico. They are also known as frijoles canarios (canary beans) because of the color. They are rich and buttery, and will stay relatively firm after being fully cooked, absorbing the flavors of whatever they are prepared with.
There was a controversy surrounding a variety of the Mexican Yellow Bean when in the 1990s an American from Colorado was granted a twenty-year patent for the plant. He called it the Enola Bean in his application and filings. After the approval, he was able to impose a royalty fee on yellow beans imported from Mexico into the United States.
Later, it was brought to the attention of the US Patent Office that the bean had been familiar to Latin American farmers and consumers for over a hundred years as azufrado or Frijol Mayacoba. The patent was overturned in the reexamination process.
COOKING DIRECTIONS:
- Rinse and sort the beans.
- Soak in cold water, ideally overnight.
- Drain and then add fresh water, enough to cover the beans with three inches of water.
- Bring to a boil.
- Cover and reduce heat to simmer.
It should be finished cooking in 20 minutes.
You can mix the cooked beans into rice and soups and even to cold salads and pasta.
Tomatillo = Mexican Green Tomato
The plant with the scientific name Physalis philadelphica bears the fruit that Mexicans refer to as tomate verde (green tomato). It belongs to the same Solanaceae nightshade family of the tomato. Tomatillos are also called husk tomatoes in English because the fruit is surrounded by a papery husk.
Buy them with the husks still on to guarantee freshness. You can store them in a paper bag in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. Tomatillos can turn yellow when ripe, but use them in cooking while they are still green and firm.
Tomatillos can be added raw in salads and to salsas such as… salsa verde! Use them in guacamole and other sauces. For something different, try roasting the tomatillos before adding them to the guacamole.
Epazote
Epazote is an herb native to southern Mexico. The plant has the scientific name Dysphania ambrosioides and has been referred to in English as wormseed, Jesuit’s tea and Mexican tea.
It is a leaf vegetable used for its strong pungent flavor. It has been variously described as tasting like fresh coriander and even having the licorice taste of anise.
Traditionally, epazote is prepared with beans because of the belief that this herb reduces abdominal gas. Mix it in refried beans or frijoles negros.
Epazote is also used in other traditional Mexican dishes like quesadillas, tamales, chilaquiles and enchiladas.
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Yes, it can be prepared in tea as well.