Hi, I have taken an interest in learning about Central and South American cuisines. I bought these leaves from Mexican grocery stores and wonder how they are traditionally used in food drink preparation!
by jtl005
Mexican Food
23 Comments
With the naranjo You can make tea, with the avocate You can Cook beans
Chef Enrique Cortes, executive chef of DeColores in Chicago, offers this list of what he calls, “The 10 most used leaves in Mexican cuisine and Latin countries:”
Leaf ……………………………………………….Common Uses
Hoja Santa………………………………………Mole amarillo, scrambled eggs
Hojas de Aguacate (Avocado)……………Soups, gorditas de frijol, scrambled eggs
Hojas de Lima (lime)…………………………Yucatan lime soup
Hojas de Elote (corn)………………………..Tamales
Hojas de Rábano (radishes)………………Green mole, pipian and arroz verde poblano
Hojas de Plátano (banana)………………..Cochinita pibil, tamales Oaxaquenos, seafood
(especially fish)
Hojas de Epazote………………………….. Black beans
Hojas de Laurel (bay)…………………….. Gallina pinta, chicken soups and caldos
Hojas de Hierbabuena (mint)………….. Albondigas, sopa de pollo, ice cream, mojitos
Hojas de Limón (lemon)………………… Soups, ice cream, tea reduction
You put it in their coffee and they become your slave
Depending on leave just drop them ln soups, caldos, sauces, ect..
Eucalipto and naranjo, for tea, the others for different several stews.
Careful with senna leaves. It’s to make laxative tea
Most of them are for medicinal use. Eucaliptus, for example, you boil it and once it is releasing steam you cover the pot and your head with a towel and breath the vapor. It´s good for congestion. Hoja de Sen, not Zen, you make a tea and drink it when you are constipated. Hoja de Guanabana, same, you make a tea and it is used for inflamation. Hoja de naranjo is if you have an upset stomach or nausea and hoja de aguacate. Hoja de aguacate is a mild painkiller. However, I would suggest not using them unless you consult a naturopath first to make sure they won´t interact with any medications you might be taking.
Hoja de aguacate is especially good in soups or stews with beef, and epazote is good when cooking beans or chilaquiles or several other things, the rest are medicinal/teas.
If you’re interested in central and South American cuisine, you may try and find their subreddits. As Mexico is part of North America.
you smoke em
why do you want to know that jajaja greatings
Laurel you need laurel the most
Las hojas de aguacate son perfectas para hornear pollo.
you roll them in a blunt
I cook spaghetti with lots if butter and laurel. Then sprinkle pepper. Yum
If you’re exploring different gastronomies i woukd asumes you have a knack for cooking, regardless of how well you cook. What u would suggest then ita smell them, really feel their essence and then use them where you feel they fit, mexican gastronomy or not. I think mixture its always fun.
I like to cook, but much more than that i like to drink, and when i make drinks its always about the feeling (when you are not charging), and i like to experiment with what in my mind seems right or interesting, whether its matching flavors or contrasting flavors, and i think it all comes from the smell of things. So that’d be my recommendation.
I am Mexican, but when i cook i just feel things out and that’s the beauty of cooking as a hobby, you let the art of it all flow through you.
I use Avacado leaves when I make beans. Take them out at the end just like you would a bay leaf.
Wow, who knew leaves could be so versatile? Time to upgrade my scrambled eggs game!
If you have to ask…
I think they’re mostly medicinal but hoja de aguacate is fabulous in black beans.
Thank you for all these responses! It seems i should use the avocado leaves for food, discard the semma leaves because I have a weak stomach, and use the rest for tea.
I’m on this learning curve myself, but I put two avocado leaves in a braise and it added a similar flavor as bay leaf, but with a mild nuttiness. Get a sense of what the smell is and you can determine how to use it as a spice/seasoning. Some can be anise/licorice/tarragon in nature. Use sparingly until you develop confidence with how to use it. It can also be crumbled and used to season eggs. Good luck!
You can use for tea