Chenopodiastrum ambrosioides (Chenopodiastrum ambrosioides)
Description
You won’t find epazote in the standard American spice rack, but in regions of Mexico, epazote Chenopodium ambrosioides is a favorite recipe ingredient. You’ve undoubtedly tasted its distinctive flavor in the dishes served at your local Mexican restaurant. It’s especially common in bean dishes, to ward off gas. Its carminative compounds are believed to reduce flatulence. Also called Mexican tea and wormseed, epazote belongs to the Chenopodiaceae, or goosefoot, family. Many members of this family are native to North America, but C. ambrosioides originated in Central America. Believed to have been used by the Aztecs, epazote made its way to Europe in the 17th century. Now abundant throughout most of the United States and eastern Canada, this herb is sometimes considered a weed due to its self-seeding and easy germination. But with a contained location and some monitoring, epazote is worth growing in the kitchen garden.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Caryophyllales
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Family: Amaranthaceae
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Genus: Caryophyllales
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