Red Epazote from Oaxaca (Dysphania ambrosioides)

Oaxacan Red Epazote (Dysphania ambrosioides): this aromatic is a vital ingredient in Mexican cuisine, it boasts an intense and penetrating aroma: notes of camphor, cloves, and black fennel. On the palate, it is bitter, slightly spicy, and persistent. In traditional cuisine, it is primarily used with beans, but it can also be found in quesadillas, tamales, and various soups. The red variety comes from the state of Oaxaca, one of the most important states for agrobiodiversity in a country already among the world's leaders in crop and culinary diversification.
It is also often consumed whole as a remedy for parasites and to aid digestion.
In the field, it's practically a wild plant, hardy and undemanding, but it tends to produce seeds when subjected to severe water stress. The seeds are consumed, but if you want to enjoy the leaves, you need to water it regularly. It also adapts well to pots.
The plant is perennial unless subjected to long frosts, however we recommend pruning the above-ground part when the cold becomes more intense, in spring it will resume vegetative growth more quickly and with more vigor.
If you like Mexican cuisine or want to bring new, exotic flavors to your dishes, epazote is the plant for you.