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It's About Thyme
July 24, 2009
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A Quick Guide to Mexican Herbs
by Chris Winslow
It’s always fantastic when you have plants that look beautiful in the garden,
and work really well in the kitchen.
For readers who enjoy Mexican cooking, the good news is that three of the
top four Mexican culinary herbs fall in this culinary/horticultural category:
Mexican oregano, hoya santa, Mexican marigold mint, and cilantro.
Mexican oregano ( Poliomentha longiflora ) is an evergreen that grows
three feet tall, and blooms with a light pink to lavender flower from spring
to frost. This flowering perennial has a spicy oregano flavor and can be
quite drought-tolerant when established. It can look beautiful in a land-
scape with salvias, lantanas, and Mexican mint marigold.
Hoya santa ( Piper auritum ) is a large leaf herbaceous perennial herb (see
photo above) with a curious root beer flavor to its leaves. This plant can grow
from full shade to full sun depending on how much water it gets. Its large leaf
and size will give a tropical look to the landscape. The leaves are used to
wrap fish fillets or chicken breasts which you then bake in the oven or steam.
In Mexico, its leaves are an essential ingredient in green mole, In Guatemala,
it is used to make traditional tamales wrapped in banana leaves. Hoya santa
is popular along the east coast of Mexico. Closer to home, it can be found
on the menu of Austin's excellent Fonda San Miguel.
Mexican marigold mint (Tagetes lucida ) grows from spring to fall and
has an anise flavor to its leaf. This perennial is easily grown, blooms heavily
in the fall, and is a good substitute in recipes for the more fussy French
tarragon – which can be very difficult to cultivate.
Cilantro may not be the best plant for your landscape, but this essential
Mexican herb is easily grown if you pick the right season. It loves the
cooler weather of fall and winter. Planted in late September or early
October, it will flourish and produce flavorful leaves throughout the winter.
Cilantro will, however, bolt and bloom in the spring, ending its life cycle.
For a heat-tolerant plant which has a similar flavor you might try
Vietnamese cilantro, a.k.a. Rau Rum. This plant thrives in the heat.
Happy herb gardening everyone!
Visit the website at www.itsaboutthyme.com Visit the
nursery at 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748 Tel. 512 280 1192
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