A detailed description of the spice epazot, composition, calorie content, useful properties and harm to humans. How is the seasoning eaten, what recipes with its participation can be used in everyday life in the home kitchen?
Epazot (Mexican tea) is a rather spicy and aromatic seasoning that contains a combination of a large number of flavors: coriander, citrus, cilantro, mustard and a whole bunch of other spices. Has a light coniferous smell. Manufactured in Mexico. Gourmets claim that there is no other spice in the world that has the same taste and aroma as epazote. The seasoning is actively used in Mexican and Guatemalan cuisine. It has a lot of useful properties for the body, but in some cases it can harm a person.
Composition and calorie content of Mexican tea
The taste and medicinal properties of the spice have been appreciated by mankind for a long time: historians assume that for the first time the inhabitants of the Mayan tribe learned how to prepare epazote. In the modern world, the plant is used in folk medicine for the preparation of medicinal drugs, and in cooking - as a spice and even tea.
For the manufacture of the spice epazot, the herbaceous plant Mary ambrosioidnaya (lat. Dysphania ambrosioides) is used, leaves, flowers and unripe fruits are used as raw materials. His homeland is Central and South America, including the south of Mexico. Now the plant is found in other regions of the planet, in particular, in those where the climate is from warm to temperate, namely in the subtropical regions of Russia, Europe and the United States. As a rule, it grows along all kinds of fences located next to highways. Most animals avoid epazote because of its pungent odor.
The calorie content of epazote is 32 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Proteins - 0.33 g;
- Fat - 0.52 g;
- Carbohydrates - 7, 44 g;
- Dietary fiber - 3, 8 g.
Vitamins per 100 g of product:
- Vitamin A - 3 mcg;
- Vitamin B1, thiamine - 0.028 mg;
- Vitamin B2, riboflavin - 0, 348 mg;
- Vitamin B3, niacin - 0.639 mg;
- Vitamin B6, pyridoxine - 0, 152 mg;
- Vitamin C, ascorbic acid - 3.6 mg.
Micro and macro elements in 100 g of the product:
- Calcium, Ca - 275 mg;
- Iron, Fe - 1, 88 mg;
- Magnesium, Mg - 121 mg;
- Phosphorus, P - 86 mg;
- Potassium, K - 633 mg;
- Sodium, Na - 43 mg;
- Zinc, Zn - 1, 10 mg.
Interesting! The name of the seasoning epazot comes from the Aztec language.
See the composition and calorie content of papaya leaf tea
Useful properties of epazote
The benefits of epazot for humans lies in the rich chemical composition of the seasoning: the spice contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals that are vital for our body. It is actively used in alternative medicine for the preparation of medicinal decoctions that help with painful menstruation, worms (roundworms and pinworms), respiratory diseases, malaria, asthma and more. Epazote is also able to suppress various types of fungal infections.
The main beneficial properties of Mexican seasoning:
- Maintains an optimal balance of body fluids … This property is considered widely in demand among modern consumers, because people actively eat excessive amounts of salt, which retains fluid in the body and leads to the development of various diseases of the musculoskeletal system and the cardiovascular system.
- Helps with flatulence … Contains a substance called ascaridol. It is this substance that helps to avoid bloating while taking beans and other foods that cause increased and painful gas formation in the intestines.
- Has a beneficial effect on bones … Maintains optimal bone mineral levels.
- Tones up and relaxes at the same time … Thanks to the B vitamins and a selection of certain minerals, this seasoning helps to relax muscles and fight stress.
On a note! Over time, Epazote seasoning loses some of the smell, so it is important to store it in an airtight container and always in a dry place.
Read more about the benefits of pomegranate flower tea
Contraindications and harm to epazote
The harm of epazote lies in the increased toxicity of the plant from which the spice is made. If you use the seasoning in large quantities, you can face the problem of intoxication of the body and an upset stomach. In some cases, regular intake of epazot in large doses can lead to impaired functioning of the immune system, as well as the development of diseases of the kidneys, liver, and heart.
The spice is prohibited for use by pregnant women, nursing mothers and minor children. Also, doctors advise to give up seasoning to everyone who suffers from acute diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Read more about the dangers of Kalmyk tea
Epazote recipes
You don't need to know the recipe for Epazote to try this spice. It is enough to go to a good Mexican restaurant and order a dish with seasoning - it is often added to vegetables and legumes. It not only emphasizes the taste of beans or peas, but also neutralizes their negative effect on the human gastrointestinal tract, which most often manifests itself in the form of increased flatulence.
Consider several recipes for Mexican cuisine that use epazote:
- Mushroom soup … Prepare 15 g of each type of dried mushrooms: chanterelles, morels, porcini mushrooms. Soak ingredients in hot water for 20-25 minutes. Cut the soaked mushrooms into medium-sized pieces. Leave them to dry and sauté the onions (chop 1 white onion and fry in olive oil). Once the onion is browned, add 3 cloves of minced garlic to it. Cook the ingredients for 5 minutes, then add 0.5 kg of fresh mushrooms to them. Turn off the heat when the mushrooms are golden brown. Add the prepared mushroom mixture, 3 green chili peppers, 1 stalk of fresh rosemary, 2 stalks of thyme and oregano to the resulting mass. It is better to tie the stalks of greens with a thread, so it will be more convenient to remove them from the dish before serving it. Pour 2.5 liters of chicken broth over all the ingredients and season with epazote and salt to taste. Cook the dish over low heat for 1 hour. Remove the herbs from the finished dish and serve. You can decorate the dish with slices of fresh lime.
- Stewed potatoes … Boil 360 g potatoes. Leave it on for a while and start cooking the onions. To do this, fry for 3 tbsp. l. Conola oil 1 onion, chopped. When the onion is lightly caramelized, add 3 cloves of minced garlic and 3 Scotch hot peppers to it. Cook all ingredients for another 2 minutes. Add large pieces of potatoes to the skillet. Simmer the ingredients over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Season the potatoes with epazote and salt as soon as you turn off the stove. Serve the dish to the table.
- Black beans … Rinse thoroughly and remove pebbles with 500 g of black beans. Place the product in a saucepan and cover with boiling water (10 glasses). Add half a large onion head (coarsely chopped) and 2 tbsp. l. pork fat. Wait for the water in the pot to boil and reduce the heat to simmer in the boiling water for 3 hours. It is important that during this time the beans become as soft as possible and do not boil over. Do not stir the contents of the pot while cooking. 30 minutes before cooking, add 1 tbsp to the beans. l. table salt and 2 sprigs of epazote. Leave the cooked beans for a few hours. It is best to cook the beans the day after boiling. Grind it together with the remaining broth using a meat grinder. Simmer the resulting mass in a pan for 15 minutes with onions fried in lard in advance. Season the dish with chili and serve!
- Aztec soup … It is difficult to say whether this recipe is authentic, but the taste of the finished dish will delight even a sophisticated connoisseur of soups. It will take patience and a lot of ingredients to prepare the dish. For example, for soup, you should find amaranth cakes on sale or cook them yourself (12 pieces). Cut the tortillas into long, thin strips and brown until brown. Chop 1 onion, 2 small cloves of garlic, 2 large red tomatoes. Fry the resulting ingredients and add amaranth flour (2 tablespoons) to them. At the time of adding flour, you must constantly stir the ingredients in the pan to avoid the formation of flour lumps. Along with the flour, add 1.5 liters of chicken broth to the mixture. Leave the contents of the pan for a few minutes to boil well. Add 1 sprig of epazote, 1 can of condensed milk, a little hot pepper and 50 g of grated hard cheese to the boiling mixture. Salt the mixture to your liking and wait for it to boil again. Remove from heat and serve warm with fried strips of amaranth tortillas.
Advice from a professional chef! Epazot is prized in cooking for its special aroma, which loses its durability when heated. Therefore, it is advisable to add seasoning to the dish a few minutes before the end of its preparation (about 15 minutes before the end of cooking).
Mexican Tea Drink Recipes
In traditional Mexican cuisine, it is customary to add epazote to green cocktails. Here are two simple recipes for refreshing drinks:
- Smoothie with cucumber … Peel 4 medium-sized cucumbers, cut into large pieces and place in a blender bowl for further chopping. Add half green bell pepper, a few basil leaves and 1 small sprig of epazote to the cucumbers. Also, the future cocktail should be seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Optionally, you can add tabasco sauce to the drink. Grind all ingredients until smooth and smooth. The drink is ready!
- Mango and avocado smoothie … Peel 1 mango, 1 soft avocado and 1 medium green apple. Cut the fruit into large slices and add to them a few slices of peeled lemon, a bunch of spinach, a small piece of ginger, epazot, coconut water (determine the volume to taste). Grind all ingredients until smooth. Note that you can use frozen spinach to make a smoothie.
Interesting! While culinary experts, gourmets and connoisseurs from all over the world find a lot of beneficial properties for human health in epazote, botanists call it an invasive weed (a plant that is introduced into new territories using seeds spread by the wind). This plant is also an important component of the modern pesticide Requiem.
