# Huazontles



## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

I had the pleasure of discovering a new Mexican food yesterday: huazontles.
I like to think I have a pretty broad experience with Mexican cuisine but this was the first time I had tried huazontles... and they were delicious! They are extremely laborious to prepare and I guess that's why they aren't super common. My mother in law and sister in law spent all day working in the kitchen to make them and they weren't ready until 6pm, which is really late for a comida.

For those who don't know what huazontles are, they look like giant tall marijuana buds and you gather a bunch of them and tie them up together with a cord with cheese (I believe it was manchego) wrapped in the middle. Then you dip them in egg batter sort of like classic chiles rellenos and then deep fry. The taste of the greens is something like very mild broccoli flavor and the combination with the cheese, breading and then either a salsa pasilla or tomato sauce makes a very unique flavor package.

If you haven't tried them, seek them out. They are worth hunting!


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

circle110 said:


> I had the pleasure of discovering a new Mexican food yesterday: huazontles.
> I like to think I have a pretty broad experience with Mexican cuisine but this was the first time I had tried huazontles... and they were delicious! They are extremely laborious to prepare and I guess that's why they aren't super common. My mother in law and sister in law spent all day working in the kitchen to make them and they weren't ready until 6pm, which is really late for a comida.
> 
> For those who don't know what huazontles are, they look like giant tall marijuana buds and you gather a bunch of them and tie them up together with a cord with cheese (I believe it was manchego) wrapped in the middle. Then you dip them in egg batter sort of like classic chiles rellenos and then deep fry. The taste of the greens is something like very mild broccoli flavor and the combination with the cheese, breading and then either a salsa pasilla or tomato sauce makes a very unique flavor package.
> ...


¡Muy ricos! ¿Me invitas? FYI: http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Huauzontles_8329.php


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I saw them a couple of years ago at the supermarket in Ajijic and I asked a woman what they were and how to prepare them, I made them yes they are delicious. She told me she was from Mexico and that they were very common there..
They are a prehispanic veggie but the recipe has to be Spanish since the Aztecs did not have cheese and I doubt they cooked with egg whites or oil..


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## mattoleriver (Oct 21, 2011)

I've had the Specialty Produce app on my phone for about a year and find it very interesting and helpful when I'm shopping for veggies. For some reason I hadn't even thought about going to their website til I saw it linked here. Thanks!


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

circle110 said:


> I had the pleasure of discovering a new Mexican food yesterday: huazontles.
> I like to think I have a pretty broad experience with Mexican cuisine but this was the first time I had tried huazontles... and they were delicious! They are extremely laborious to prepare and I guess that's why they aren't super common. My mother in law and sister in law spent all day working in the kitchen to make them and they weren't ready until 6pm, which is really late for a comida.
> 
> For those who don't know what huazontles are, they look like giant tall marijuana buds and you gather a bunch of them and tie them up together with a cord with cheese (I believe it was manchego) wrapped in the middle. Then you dip them in egg batter sort of like classic chiles rellenos and then deep fry. The taste of the greens is something like very mild broccoli flavor and the combination with the cheese, breading and then either a salsa pasilla or tomato sauce makes a very unique flavor package.
> ...


I've had these made by my neighbour/comadre Doña Clara, except I don't remember that hers had cheese in them (but maybe they did). Otherwise similar - tied in a bunch, covered in egg batter, fried, and smothered in her delicious tomato sauce. She only cooks with _leña_ (wood fire), which to my taste buds makes everything taste better. They were tasty, but I found the stems really fibrous.

Huauzontle is a kind of _quelite_ - wild herbs which also include plants like verdolagas (purslane), epazote, hoja santa and others. Here is an interesting article in Spanish about _huauzontle_ and _quelites_.

El huauzontle | Sabores de mi Tierra


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## ElPocho (Aug 25, 2017)

My grandmother would make them. She would fry them up in egg batter, then cook in a tomato sauce. You grab them by the stem and pull them while clamping down with your teeth, like eating artichoke leaves. Only that you need to pull sideways, tricky and messy to eat.


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## Anonimo (Apr 8, 2012)

The first and only time I ate huauzontles was as a guest at the home of my language school hostess. I just couldn't manage the fibrous stems. It was like eating natural bottle brushes. As delicious as they may be, I would rather eat something less uncomfortable and with less alimentary after effects. I suspect that the "delicious" aspect comes from the cheese and the frying batter and the sauce.
Note: if you can chew and swallow the fibrous stems, you will have scored high on your dietary fiber intake. There may be a price to pay later ...


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

Like ELPocho says, you don't eat the stems, you scrape the goodies off of them with your teeth. I needed a serious lesson in how to eat them and one actually ended up in my lap as I was trying to learn. It was worth it!

I did a little reading about huazontles and apparently there are several variations in the way they are prepared -- cheese or no, tomato salsa versus other salsas (or no salsa), egg batter or no, etc.


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## Bobbyb (Mar 9, 2014)

Interesting thread. To the OP: Can you please provide an explanation of how you know it looks like MJ??


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

Bobbyb said:


> Interesting thread. To the OP: Can you please provide an explanation of how you know it looks like MJ??


Sin comentario. 

:nono:

Well, I'll say this much: I came of age in the early 70's...


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

circle110 said:


> Like ELPocho says, you don't eat the stems, you scrape the goodies off of them with your teeth. I needed a serious lesson in how to eat them and one actually ended up in my lap as I was trying to learn. It was worth it!
> 
> I did a little reading about huazontles and apparently there are several variations in the way they are prepared -- cheese or no, tomato salsa versus other salsas (or no salsa), egg batter or no, etc.


No one taught me how to eat them, but I did quickly figure out there was no way I was going to eat those stems. Kind of like the stories of newbies trying to eat the plantain leaf around the tamal. I also realized having dental floss on hand after eating huauzontles is a good idea.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

ojosazules11 said:


> No one taught me how to eat them, but I did quickly figure out there was no way I was going to eat those stems. Kind of like the stories of newbies trying to eat the plantain leaf around the tamal. I also realized having dental floss on hand after eating huauzontles is a good idea.


You mean you're not supposed to eat the tamal wrapping? Only kidding!


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