mexican flavours

September 5, 2011adminnotes

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
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

What I’m trying to grow

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

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.