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Papalo CILANTRO SUBSTITUTE ADDS A TANG TO TRADITIONAL DISHES By Tanya Tyler, Editor Health&Wellness If you are a fan of Mexican cuisine and you like cilantro or arugula, you should try papalo. Papalo is also known as papaloquelite, Bolivian coriander (although it’s not related to coriander), killi and quilquiña. It has also been called buzzard’s breath and skunk weed – the Spanish named it mampuitu, which is Spanish for skunk. This culinary herb is often used as a substitute for cilantro in tacos, salsa, guacamole and sauces. It is related to the daisy family. Papalo has such a pungent flavor, with a hint of mint and citrus, that often only a few leaves are needed to add a zesty tang to a dish. Use one-third the amount of papalo in a recipe that calls for cilantro. Papalo is very easy to grow in a garden. The plant can reach about 5 feet in height and 3 feet in diameter. Unlike cilantro, it thrives during hot summer weather (one of its nicknames is summer cilantro), so you can plant it in full sun with good drainage; it does not require a lot of water. If you let it grow without pruning, it will become very floppy. That is why some papalo growers plant bunches of the plants next to each other so they all support one another. Papalo grows wild in Mexico, where it originated, and South America. Its name comes from the Nahuatl word for butterfly, and papaloquelite means butterfly leaf (because the leaves are shaped like butterfly wings). Papalo flowers are a source of nectar for butterflies and bees. Papalo seeds are similar to dandelion seeds because they grow on a stalk and fly away in the wind to germinate in different places. The plant
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is a natural insect repellent because of its highly fragrant oils. Like other semi-wild greens grown in those areas, papalo is rich in vitamins and nutrients. It comes in two main varieties, broadleaf and narrow leaf. Simply snip off fresh leaves as needed (be sure to rinse them in cool water before eating). In restaurants throughout Bolivia and in parts of Mexico, the plant is kept on tables so diners can pluck and sprinkle the leaves directly on their dishes. Use older leaves if you want a more pungent flavor and younger leaves if you want a milder taste. You can cook them, but they are best used raw. They lose much of their pungent flavor if dried. Along with peppers, papalo is used in traditional Aztec dishes. It’s an important ingredient in cemitas, a popular Mexican sandwich. The papalo leaves and flowers contain essentials oils and active chemical constituents
that give this plant some medicinal properties. One study says papalo offers health benefits such as lowering cholesterol and blood pressure and aiding digestion. It is also purported to lower inflammation. In Bolivia, it is often used for liver ailments or to reduce the swelling of infected injuries. Papalo is an acquired taste, much like cilantro, which some people say tastes like soap. Now that you know, try papalo. Sources and Resources
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Banderas News (www.banderasnews.com) Epic Gardening (www.epicgardening.com) Gourmet Sleuths (www.gorumetsleuth.com) Johnny’s Selected Seeds (www.johnnyseeds.com) Native Batch (www.nativebatch.com) Specialty Produce (www.specialtyproduce.com) Terroir Seeds (www.Underwood Gardens.com) Value Food (www.foodvalue.com)
The name papalo comes from the Nahuatl word for butterfly.
