Epazote
| Epazote | ||||||||||||
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Chenopodium ambrosioides | ||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
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| Species | ||||||||||||
| Chenopodium ambrosioides L. |
Epazote or Mexican Tea (Chenopodium ambrosioides) is a herb that has a pungent flavor and is used to prevent gas caused by eating beans.
Table of contents |
Flavor
Raw, it has the resinous, medicinal pungency, a bit like the liquorice taste of anise, fennel fronds, or even tarragon, only stronger.
Smell
Epazote's fragrance is strong, but difficult to describe. People would often compare it with (in no particular order) citrus, petroleum, savory, mint or putty. I think it smells like epazote.
Origin
The plant is indigenous to Central and Southern México, but is today a common neophyte in Europe and the US.
Main Constituents
Essential oil with ascaridole (up to 70%), limonene and p-cymene, furthermore numerous other monoterpenes and monoterpene derivatives (α-pinene, myrcene, p-cymene, terpinene, thymol, camphor and trans-isocarveol). Ascaridol (1,4-peroxido-p-menth-2-ene) is rather an uncommon constituent of spices; another plant owing much of its character to this monoterpene peroxide is boldo. Ascaridole is toxic and has a pungent, not very pleasant flavour; in pure form, it is an explosive sensitive to shock. Allegedly, ascaridole content is lower in epazote from México than in epazote grown in Europe or Asia.